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popculturebuffet · 4 years

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Ducktales Finale Review: The Last Adventure! or So Long and Thanks for All The Ducks

Hello all you happy people. The day we’ve all simultaneously waited for and dreaded is here. The grand finale to a five year journey.. and for me an almost one year journey of covering season 3 as it came out. It was thanks to this show i’ve been able to make money doing what I love. Without it I never would’ve found my patreon Kev, and I never woul’dve had the solid focus to keep going as long as I have. And I never would’ve had all you lovely people reading my work. Thank you for that. I hope you’ll stick around even though the series is gone, I love you all. But as the sun sets on this series I have one last episode of the season, and the series to cover. I won’t be doing it in my usual recap style due to it’s sheer length and scope, but I promise you if you join me under the cut I will break down eveyrthing I can about this final adventure, it’s huge, awe inspiring twists.. and it’s heartwarming conclusion. It’s everything you could want from a finale short of a Grandma Duck Cameo, and i’ts under the cut with full spoilers. Seriously if you do not want any spoilers TURN BACK NOW. I’m opening with probably the biggest spoiler of the finale.

I Think She’s A Clone Now You were warned. So.. Webby is Scrooge’s Clone, made by FOWL as part of a decades long scheme to find the papyrus of binding, and raised by Beakly to keep this precious child out of their sinister clutches. I have hundreds of reaction images, several for what the fuck.. none of them seem sufficient.. ALL OF THEM together like some megazord of what the fuck are not sufficient for how much this reveal caught me off guard. It caught ALL of us off guard. I’m sure even those who called it still were suprised that’s the direction it took. I think we all expected her parents died by FOWL, or her parents were FOWl with Pepper being one of them, or anything else. So naturally it took around 14 drafts, and me going the fuck to sleep as I had stayed up to watch the finale and thought I could just smoothly transition into writing the review despite there being a LOTTTTT to unpack.

Even after the recharge though this took a bit of doing... so now i’ve done it... what’d I think? Whelp....

I liked it. I like it the more I think about it. Even the problems I had with it just kinda melted away as I thought about it. I understand if you do not. This twist will not be for everyone, it changes Webby’s character and story entirely, ruins tons of fan theories, and in general is batshit even for a series that in the same finale, turned Manny into a shout out to Gargoyles, complete with Keith “My Body is Ready” David. This series is genuinely batshit and loves it, but this is a LOT to ask dramatically, a lot to rewrite expectation wise and a lot to thinka bout. There’s a reason besides sleep deprevation it took me a whlie to fully grasp how I felt. So if you don’t like it fine, but i’m going to make my best case.

Starting with something that made me realize I fully like it: It dosen’t invalidate Webby’s charcter. The one little problem I had left was “Well dosen’t Webby having the McDuck bloodline mean she couldn’t be specail if she wasn’t a McDuck? That sure the rest of the cast are specail but you can’t be really important without it?” Honestly.. no. Webby is who she is not because she’s a McDuck.. but because she’s Webby. She got her martial arts and mystery solving skills through Beakly and being raised. She had intate talent sure.. but as we’ve seen with the boys through the whole series, talent has to be honed. Skill has to be earned and learned. Webby worked hard to research other civilizations, worked hard to hone herself into a deadly fighting machine with her mother’s help, worked hard to be every bit as cool as her idol who turned out to be her biological dad. She earned her badassery, her wisdom and her courage SQUARE.

And more than that she’s her own person. Her adoptive parent and biological parent are both paranoiacs afraid of betryal, unwilling to trust, and slow to let anyone in. By all accounts Webby should be the same.. but she’s not. Oh sure she has some paranoia and is willing to slit some throats, she was raised by the world’s best spy and is the daughter of the world’s greatest hero, that was never going to be gone entirely. But at her core she just wants to trust people. She just wants to love them and be loved. And.. that’s why her family loves her. Because she’s the kindest, the warmest and the best of them. They love her because she’s Webby and that’s she’s family, they could care less who she’s related to. All it really changes is how Scrooge acts around her and that gives us fans tons to work with.

It’s also expertly revealed, which helped ease us into it. Webby is just as shocked and confused as we are and is seriously hurt, which makes her vulnerable to the villains. Kate Miccui deserves a goddamn award for voice acting and if their isn’t an award show for that their should be. While she’s been fantastic with Webby all series long this is her finest performance, going from Webby’s usual self, to all the hurt she goes through.. to her quitter moments at the end, calling Scrooge dad and giving out a little noise that makes it clear as Beakly tries to leave, that no.. she’ still her family.. she’s still her mom and she’s not going anywhere.

As for the concept being a bit ridiculous yes it is.. but so is this universe. This universe is entirely insane in the best fucking way possible: I mean.. look at this final group shot.

We have an old man whose somehow still alive simply because he was too busy to die, an inventor whose cloned himself multiple times so clones are fesable and is probably a clone himself given how the last finale went, an awkward armored superhero and his biotech filled girlfriend, a small boy robot weapon of discretion who put his head on his brother’s body, a no longer headless manhorse former harbinger of the apocalypse with the silky voice of keith david as one big homage to gargoyles, a lesbian living shadow and her sister, a superhero who based himself on a fictional character and his boyfriend/sidekick who by all accounts should be dead by now, a lesbian military superheroine from the moon, STORKULES COCKBLOCKER OUT OF MYTH, his moong goddes sister, two adopted family stunt pilots, a bunch of super intelligent mice, an odd duck whose kinda sorta dating a giant shrimp, his cousin with super luck powers, my globetrotting boys, an immortal treasure hunter and in the family proper: a former spy turned adopted mom of a clone, a woman who lived on the moon for a good decade, a man who once trapped everyone in what would essentially be the plot of the mcu’s second best work by pure accident, a blue boy whose piloted a plain, captained pirates, and has his own talk show, a green boy whose ran a multi-trillion dollar company, nearly destroyed all of time and space and is under investigation for fraud, and a red boy who has a hulk-esque rage filled embodiment of all his suppressed emotions, whose fondest wish was tall legs, and who can easily take out a giant magica supermachine with some fancy wiring. So the richest duck in the world having a clone daughter, while divisvie and what not.. is far more plausable than we give it credit for. As are her new sisters who Id in’t forget but are part of the whole twist.

So yeah, I like the twist and my nitpick is more that despite having a full season to set it up.. they saved it for the last episode. Instead of BUILDING on Webby’s desire to know more about her family and having the twins show up earlier.. it’s all shove into the finale. It’s a well done shoving but there’s so much that could be explored with Webby being Scrooge’s daughter, so much that futzes with the regular family dynamics and we don't’ get any of it. Sure it was probably saved for a possible season 4 but they treated this season as the last. Manny being an apocalyptic man horse voiced by the uber sexy keith david, and no I will not stop bringing that up even outside of it’s own section and why yes it is getting it’s own section, is the kind of revelation you can leave for one last episode. “One of the main cast is a clone” really isn’t and that’s disapointing.

Especially since thinking back to life and times.. Webby IS a lot like Scrooge was before circumstance hardened him. She’s tough, resourceful.. but also has a peppy spirit to her. It adds interesting shades to her character, where she zigs where Scrooge zags, how much of it is her upbringing with Granny versus his with his parents, how much did Beakley play into it. There’s A lot to dig into and given I have most of the series left to review, I will get to dig into it, and there’s a lot to be explored in fanfic so if I wasn’t already planning a massive one before I sure as fuck am now. So it’s not a bad twist nor bad we get to write the future.. but I do wish the crew THEMSELVES had done more with it. Still my bar for “not fucking up the entire show” is pretty low after Star Vs ended with her committing implied genocide to stop a genocide and How I Met Your Mother ended “But the real journey was in how much I want to bang, bang bangity bang I said a bang bang bangity bang your aunt robin now your mother conveniently died”. I can handle “This twist is kind of weird but also really intresting.” If the twist isn’t for you, as I said i get it. This is my opinion. Now for the thing I won’t shut up about.

I LIVE AGAIN:

Look i’ve made no secret how thirsty I am for Keith David nor how much of a national treasure I rightly believe him to be. He’s one of my faviorite voice actors, with a mind boggling number of awesome rolls, mostly recently as a fowl mouthed coffe cup encouraging a teacher to sabotage his rival teachers breaks on close enough. Even if I didn’t like Gargoyles, which I do, i’d have an entire section talking about that Manny reveal.

Manny was already objectively one of the best parts of the show, a hilariously weird addition that was also relatable as he just wanted to fit in. I did not know you could make him better. Then they gave him Keith David’s voice and revealed he’s one of the four horseman of the apocalypse, but doesn’t want to end the world he just wants to be a normal dude, AND turned him into a shout out to the last part of the disney afternoon they hadn’t touched, my favorite part of it and a show i’ve been sitting on watching in full for far too long. Motherfucking Gargoyles.

But given how unique it was for the Disney Afternoon and how much Disney had no desire to ever reference or use the franchise, still no fucking clue as to why they are sitting on money here, I expected it to be sadly but understandably left out. Instead they made Manny into an expy for them, gave him the voice of their leader Goliath, the voice of an angel, and had him say “I LIVE AGAIN” complete with the utterly transcendent theme song. Seriously give it a listen.

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So yeah I couldn’t not mark out at this. Amazing fucking stuff and almost as unexpected as the clone thing and easily my second faviorite part of the fiinale only NARROWLY topped by the curtain call. Which we’ll get to. Keith David took his time getting to this series but they saved the best guest voice for last. Utter tremendous.

Huey Season?: I”ll save more of this for my breakdown as the season as a whole but yeah while the finale as a whole was good.. I do feel Huey got short changed. He got PLENTY of development this season, and some REALLY good scenes with Bradford.. but ultimately he got overshadowed by the Webby thing. it just never quite felt like Huey got a real resolution to his character arc the way his brothers did. He still got some REALLY good moments, his “Just cough up the information Bentina!” was one of his finest and Danny Pudi did his best. The BUILDUP was good but hte payoff was non existant and easily the weakest part of an otherwise triumphant finale. I feel the final plot was ultimately just a bit too jam packed to really have Huey feel vital to it the way Dewey was to the Della arc and Louie was to his own arc. Both tgot big emotional payoffs in his finale but the most I could gather here was he accepted adventure? I guess. It just really feels off, like I missed the payoff to everything when it’s probably just nonexistent and that bothers me a lot. In a finale that was almost all hit.. this was easily the biggest misstep. I don’t have as much to say here on it.. but that’s because it’s really that simple: they gave Huey’s arc a ton of build up in this last episode and some of his others, really made him into Bradford’s good counterpart.. then just sorta.. forgot it because “oh shit Webby’s scrooge’s daughter kinda need to pull focus here”. Had they given this arc at least one more episode, we might of had time for it. Granted i’m not sure how much they could get away with but we clearly needed at least one more episode and what they chose to jettision, the climax to Huey’s story.. was way more important than they clearly thought and i’m heavily disappointed.

Bradford’s Big Hole Speaking of payoffs the missing mysteries payoff.. is a mixed bag. I expected all of them to combine some how into some elaborate plan I just wasn’t seeing. In hindsight it does make sense that wasn’t it: Bradford hates overcomplicated schemes, so his would be incredibly simple and require as few moving parts as possible. It still dosen’t stop the fact that the big plan to cap off the entire series built over a season... was to build a giant stygian hole of non existence to throw people into.

Yes really. Instead of using the Payprus to write them out of existance, if carefully worded or try doing it all at once or anything practical.. Bradford just plans to shove everything he dosen’t want in the world anymore into a hole. Look i’ts not like it ruins the episode, there’s still tons of tension from him holding Scrooge’s loved ones over his hole and threating to throw them into it’s gaping void. And it’s foiled by a 12 year old just.. shutting it off. Like I get him leaving an off switch on, that’s just common sense.. but why wouldn’t he have a remote or something to turn it back on? one with a password or something to lock it. There’s something inherently underwhelming about as series ending plan that can be summed up “hope no one shuts my unguarded hole. “

The finale does make for it by using the missing mysteries all in VERY clever ways. In fact every episode in the season had some sort of payoff here. It’s what makes up for how baffling the main plan is: every other thing, from the missing mysteries to the guest stars has lead up to this one moment, this one final adventure. Which leads me too

An Hurricane of Payoffs:

So from the top Challenge of the Senior Junior Woodchucks!: Isabella Finch herself ends up being VITAL to the story and to Bradford’s backstory, as does Junior Woodchucking as a whole. Quack Pack!: Gene is the fuel for Blot’s glove.. though he also fucks off right afterwords.. never to be seen again or help out at any point...

Double-O-Duck in You Only Crash Twice!: This was the most unexpected and elevated the episode in hindsight for me as what seemed like a waste of time.. wound up setting up the first part of the finale, and the final battle with Steelbeak, and in clever ways with Steelbeak using the intelliray on himself, Launchpad muttering the map in his sleep via his smart self and Dewey remembering the base layout.

The Lost Harp of Mervana: Used as a lie detector for that heartbreaking interrogation scene.

Louie’s Eleven: Introduced Daisy setting up Donald’s plot which i’ll get to.

Astro BOYD: My baby boy comes back for this episode! He also gets one of the best lines of it “I’m a Head!”. That is the most ralph wiggum the boy has ever been. I’m so proud.

Rumble For Ragnarok: Okay I was wrong nothing from this one comes back. Still a great episode. Same with the trickening. Both are VERY stellar episodes though, so I give it a pass. You can’t give a nod to EVERYTHING.

The Phantom and the Sorceress: The Blot and Super Sayian God Super Sayian Lena, as well as Lena’s character development from said episode. They Put a Moonlander on the Earth!: Launchpad helping Penny realize her purpose. Forbidden Fountain: Jeeves is un-babied as a trap Let’s Get Dangerous!: Drake and Gosalyn Return, and Solageo’s Circut ends up being vital to the climax.. in the strangest and funnest way to say possible but still. It counts. Escape from the Impossibin: Beakley’s near breakdown at the idea FOWL has come back. It was already heartbreaking and the first adventure had made it even more so.. but now it’s out and out DEVISTATING. The one thing after her daughter is not only back.. but SHE’S the reason he’s in Scrooge’s life and home and her giving up SHUSH has now left her wide open.

The Split Sword: Probably the best out of all of these as it ends up directly playing into the climax in an awesome way i’m saving for Bradfords New Gods: Storkules shows up. Okay so that every episode claim bit me on the ass. Also when did these two meet? I mean probably at end of spear of selene but the more important question is WHY DID YOU ROB ME OF THESE TWO MEETING AT ANY POINT IN THE SERIES.

The First Adventure: Naturally the Payprus comes back as Does herons needling bradford to stop denying what he is.

Fight For Castle McDuck: Suprisingly the blessed bagpipes ended up being VITALLY important. And giving us sexiest man alive infinity years running Keith David for an episode. Last Christmas; Santa Cameo

Beaks in the Shell: Gandra being taken and the Lost Library being setup for this episode.

Lost Cargo: The Stone of What Was. And Credit where its due what FELT like simply a filler episode with a tantengal connectoin.. ended up probably being one of the most important episodes. Fair play.

Life and Crimes: Magica turning Bradford into a non sentient bird, like what happened to her brother.... proving once again this episode really REALLY needed as subplot attached to lead into the finale or something.

Bonus Round: Pilot payoffs by the pound. Seriously Scrooge and Donald’s last lines to each other, the badass return of “I’m a Pilot”, more on that in a minute, and even other smaller call backs like “Keep Getting Up” and webby sucessfully getting some juice to Louie’s pride. All top notch stuff and it really makes the finale FEEL like one with all this coming back full circle. So i’ve hinted at it enough, let’s bring on the bad guy.

The First Woodchuck

We’ve had some mixed payoffs so let’s get to one that’s just out and out excellent. Bradford Buzzard.. is the best villian the show ever had. Now I will give the caveat that my favorite forever and always will be

You know it, I know it. But Bradford is the best genuine threat of the series, with Marc Evan Jackson perfectly balancing his menace and genuine evil.. with his steadfast believe that he isn’t evil, and his calm, controlled business demeanor. It’s one of the best performances of the show and he deserves all the credit for it and after seeing him in supporting roles for his career, even if his role as Kevin on Brooklyn Nine-Nine is fucking awesome and I’m sad that show is ending, it’s nice to see him step into a big meaty role as the big bad and utterly nail it.

And the finale.. pays eveyrthing off with him, apart from the plan itself perfectly. Starting off him being revealed as Isabella Finch’s grandson... was a stroke of genius. I didn’t expect her to come back in play but it gives perfect reason both why he knew about the mysteries.. and why he’s like this.

Like Scrooge did with his nephews, niece and daughter, Isabella dragged Bradford all around the world seeing the unseen, thinking it was fun. The problem was... Bradford HATED it. He hated every minute of it, like as one post pointed out Rusty Venture from the Venture bros, and felt he should be in school. He wanted a normal life and a normal world and not.. this waking nightmare. So to him, fixing the world, stopping this sort of thing is the only way and that doing so is a good thing. His problem is how he adapted to it.

We see that best in his mirror images, the people he’s in direct contrast with and the show knows it. Starting off with the one he’s not like at all is Scrooge. Part of what makes Bradford perfect is he’s Scrooge’s evil opposiite. The Luthor to His Superman, The Joker to his Batman, the Green Goblin to his Spider-Man, the Iron Monger to his Iron Man, the Sinestro to his Green Lantern. Both come from a long line of adventure but while Scrooge embraces that and loves it, Bradford hates it and wants to destroy it. One is energetic and always ready, the other’s calm, calculated. And one sees what he is.. and the other dosen’t. Simple as that.

But his other mirror’s are more like him, moving onto Huey. Their both woodchucks, both prefer caution and planning, and both want to make some sense of a nonsensical world. Both want to feel safe when they constnatly don’t. One’s prone to panic attack the other’s calm. But what makes Huey the better man... is that he accepts the world is the way he is. It goes all the way back to terror of the terrafirmains. While he was all for adventure he started his doubting things, not beliving things were real.. because the reality that there are some things you just can’t prepare for, just can’t know, and you can’t be always ready.. it shattered him. He nearly let himself die rather than live knowing what’s out there. Webby pulled him out of that, literally and figuratively.. and he never went back. Sure he still tries to have an order to things, still breaks when his structure’s broken.. but it’s gone from a paranoid fear of the unknown and weird to embracing it. To relishing in finding unsolved mysteries and new clues to unlock, to finding new things to explore. He went from seeing this chaotic world as something to run from, to embracing and studying it. To loving it the way it is the way his family loves him for who he is. Bradford.. denies reality belongs the way it is and wants to force it into what HIS idea of it is Superboy Prime Style. The world isn’t waht he thought it should be so he’ll MAKE it that way. Huey grew as a person.. while his arc didn’t have a full payoff.. it still pays off here by showing what he COULD’VE been. had he let his earlier fear and his always present neurosis drive him like Bradford has. Let his big brain make him think he knows what’s better for EVERYONE instead of using it to genuinely help people. Bradford lacks the boys heart and empathy and that’s why he fell. Huey had his family backing him, his best friends coming to get him, and his brothers ultimately rescue him. Bradford.. threw his only true ally down a styigan murder hole.

Finally.. we have the one that’s not brought up directly.. but is very much there. Donald. While the two don’t interact hardly at all... it’s VERY fitting that Donald is the one Bradford picks to threaten Scrooge with. Like Bradford... Donald grew to hate adventure, he wanted to get as far away from it as possible and took it from his boys for as long as he could. Granted that was in part Bradford’s fault, and that was an INCREDIBLY clever twist: it dosen’t make him entirley responsible or anything that robs the moment of it’s imapct, Della still chose to take it out by herself, she still lied to Donald and she still got lost all by her own decision and impuslviness. But it fits perfectly into it: Bradford’s horrifying smile when Scrooge gets taken away from saving her is even WORSE now with full context, and it still fits that knowing about the project.. he’d want to set it up to screw up Scrooge’s life. I don’t think he sabotaged the rocket or anything, too obvious and something Della would’ve mentioned by now.. but he knew it was unfinished.

Back to the parallel the diffrence is once again.. change. Donald let go of his hate of scrooge and his past and realized it wasn’t all bad. He let himself grow as a person after a decade of bitterness and anger. But most tellingly and poignantly is Quack Pack... both had a chance to make a world that was safe, normal and what they always wanted. Both out of terror of the danger of this world. Thing is.. Donald’s was noble. He feared for his kids, his sister, his uncle.. loosing one again and any of them at all. He wanted a normal life to be safe, to hide from that.. but it’s not what THEY wanted or who they are. He accepted that’s not how the world works and how it does.. is still pretty great. And his growth shows: he’s ending the series planning to go off with his girlfriend globetrotting, KNOWING things might not be safe, but diving into adventure, having accepted it as part of him. He even finds some new family and takes in two girls who badly needed a home. He learned to accept things how they are... and Bradford refuses, not beliving in this world as it is and vowing to force it into the way he wants it to be.

And it’s that inherent selfishness.. that makes Bradford the Cartoon Supervillian he desperatley claims he isn’t. Bradford dosen’t care how many lives it takes, how much worse it makes the world, or how many people he has to stab in the back... the world WILL be “normal”. Bradford cares for no one and nothing except his own ambition. He kills Heron despite her loyality, and his own clones who loyally served him.. simply because their chaos too. No one or nothing else matters, not how they feel, not their right to exist.. only HIS vision. If he wanted to keep the world safe he’d be more of a hero, if still throughly a bastard... but he dosen’t. He wants to make it “normal”. He wants the world the way he thinks it shoudl be and damn anyone else and perfectly represents all the old assholes like him today who refuse to accept something diffrent or against the norm because “that’s how it’s always been”. Like those real world assholes.. Bradford is wrong. The Duckverse is beauitful how it is in it’s chaos and risk and love. And he just can’t see it because it’s not what he WANTS to see.

And that’s why I also love the Sword giving him big, black and red classic villianous monster, slowly mutating him as he fights the duck family. Because that’s his inner strength: he may deny he’s a villian but he’s forcing his will on others, refuses to see the world as it is for selfish reasons, and is willing to kill his own friends and allies if it means getting it. He’s the bad guy. And while he denies it to those around him... it’s clear from the fact the sword is working for him that he KNOWS IT, he knows he’s a villian and this is just what he wants but is so up his own ass he can’t SAY it or admit it. And in the end he’s fully beaten by the fact that his forcing his will on everything’s what’s unnatural: While his plan was ingenious, have scrooge sign a contract agreeing never to adventure again, since he’s right Scrooge would solve nonexistance it’s the same reason “launch hulk into space” only resulted in a smarter, more skilled hulk coming back with a space army to get revenge. He just didn’t bank on the inherent rediclousness of the unvierse: family really is the greatest adventure of all.. and the papyrus accepted it. It was the one thing he coudln’t palnf or because he can’t see the woirld how it is.. and that’s why he lost. He was so confident how he saw the world and how he worked was the only way... another way beat him.

His fate.. was also awesome and endleslly apporirate. Being mocked by the other villians who while less capable aside from Magica, at least admit what they are and what their doing.. and turned into a Vulture for Magica, left to be a mindless lackey in tons of chaotic schemes for the rest of his life. It couldn’t of happened to a nicer jackass. Okay three more sections to go. Let’s go.

Come Sail Away, Come Sail Away, Come Sail Away With Daissssyyyy

Donald’s leaving for a long, romantic adventure with Daisy is the perfect capper to Doanld’s character. Donald started the series hating adventure: blaming it for della being gone, his rough times during it, and wanted to escape it in the boat and keep from loosing his kids to it. He felt like a looser for not having reached his dreams or properly provided for his nephews, when really he did his best and still raised three wonderful kids. A bit overproective, god yes.. but despite his grief and anger he still got through ten years with them on his own merits, hard work and determination.

As the series went he reconclied with his past, realized Scrooge lost something too and that blaming him soley when it was Della’s choice was just taking his anger out on the one person he had left to take it out on instead of embracing his only family left, accepted Storkules as his friend (JUST his friend), accepted adventure through quack pack realizing that while it may be weird, dangerous and sometimes stressful for him... it’s what his family love doing and they should be who they are instead of who he wants them to be, and finally.. accepted himself by finding Daisy, someone who loves him for who he is, and literally and metaphorically understands him and turned right back around from dumping him to save him from a giant monster she roared at. He’s finally at peace.

And that’s why leaving. Not forever, He , Daisy, and his girls will be back in a few months or even a month. It’s very clear this is a vacation.. but it’s one he’s earned. He’ll always love his boys, his surrogate daughter/cousin, his sister, and his best buddy launchpad. But it’s okay for him to want to form his OWN family, to spend time with his future wife and show her the world. To make his own story for once instead of sharing it. To find his voice.

I also find it very poetic that a story that started with Donald raising his nephews like their dad.. ends with him adopting two more children. Two kids whose lives had been misrable: rapidly aged in tubes, deemed failures, constantly bellittled by the closest things they have for parents, so desperate for answers they’d kidnap their own sister and betray her trust and do things they know are wrong, And all this.. for nothing as their Dad kills their mom, bad as she was, and plans to kill them. And Donald’s first thought when given the chance to have a kid free time to himself, with no guilt having earned it? To take these girls in, start his own family, if Daisy’s cool with it mind he thankfully clearly called to talk this over first, and give them their own. Because that’s who Donald is, a good man whose finally earned his happy ending and the life he always wanted.. and accepted who he always was. An adventuerer, a loving fiance.. and dad.

The Real Hero: One last one before the bonus round and a quick one. The Launchpad Scene.. was one of the shows best. His arc in this episode of thinking he’s not a hero.. made sense. He’s been plenty heroic.. but his boyfriend is a martial arts and gymnastics savant and one of his three best friends has a giant suit of armor and is a genius. But the payoff made even more: He may not be the strongest, the most skilled or the smartest.. but he has the heart of a hero. He’s always been the kindest, most trusting, most friendly one of the main family, a guy who never gives up, even when he should, never surrenders and loves everybody. And that’s why he’s inspired so many people: Fenton to not give up after his firing and keep going, leading to his path as Gizmoduck. When Drake was lost, his fllm gone and his mentor seemingly dead (In fact skulking around the sewers like an evil ninja turtle), and his future unclear... TOLD HIM he could be Darkwing, that he could become the hero they both ihdolized and the inspiration to kids he wanted to be by his own bootstraps, and he gave Gosalyn faith in darkwing and hope at at time she had none. He also gave those mice their freedom. Not as poignant but you try creating the rescue rangers and see how far you get. I’ve lost a lot of chipmunks and mice that way.

Launchpad’s last stand makes up for his lack of being in the season during the final half. Launchpad realizing that despite his quirks he’s just as noble, valuable and wonderful as his families, both of them. And that he is a pilot. Sure he gets the gizmoduck armor.. but the armor isn’t what makes hi ma hero... i’ts being launchpad that makes him a hero. Loving adopted dad, wonderful partner, best friend... and a pilot

Bonus Round:

Okay this is just stray stuff from throughout the episode I didn’t have several paragraphs worth of material on before we get to the final thoughts. But it had so much good I can’t not talk about it. So...

Gyro calling Little Bulb BOYD’s brother. My heart wept. So sweet. As was him fixing his son at the end. BOYD has the two loving families he deserves.. and the brother he deserves.. and the brother he dosen’t deserve who will probably also is skulking around the sewers like an nafarious ninja turtle as the series ends.

Gosalyn fixing up Darkwing’s outfit for him. Awwww. Adopt that child you coward. Also if they don’t base the reboot on frank’s work here, I will riot.

“Just cough up the information Bentina!” that was just pure comedy gold especially the sheer fear radiating off him. Also right.

Manny’s “I can explain” and , once he has silky smooth keith david voice going “Come on man I just want to live my life.” That man is a legend.

Dewey and Louie just not talking the “you kids stay behind shit” pointing out both their stake in this and how they’ll just go anyway and him proudly accepting it. Given the kids turned the tied of things a lot, good call.

Dewey and Don Karnage singing their own background music as they air joust. Hell yes.

Pepper got a promotion! Goodf or her... it’s meaningless now but hey she has a partner in both senses.

Speaking of pepper she had the best line of the episode “He’s a grown man who has the strength of a baby!”. Only Amy Sedaris could’ve given that delivery just the perfect way she did.

The Funzo’s opening sequence was dynamite, from how well set up it was as an infilfration, to Webby having learned how to scam free drinks (Louie was so proud), to Lena cheating for her sister at DDR, to Scrooge paying full price.. it was wonderful> The payoff was also great as rather than be mad her special day was used as part of an elabroate spy operation.. she’s giddy. Because of course she is. Two specitic bits that get their own items

The Cabs came back one last time! It dosen’t effect my now finished retrospective, but after spending all that time with them it was nice to see them for what will probably be the last time for some time.

The whole scene where Della finds out about the trip. Just all of it. Her casually and accidentally choking daisy TWICE, Fethry, who sadly did not get an episode this season, being the one to blab about it and only realizing it .. after repeating that they told him not to, and Gladstone who not only was casually winning at Skeeball while his cousins both got pissed at it, relateable as hell, but then awkwardly escorting his baby cousin out of the situation.

“Satstically with Hubert gone one of us should be pancking but WHO I ASK YOU WHO?” As if I needed more evidence they were perfect for each other.

Lena just.. slumping over after Dewey finally has her drop the cloak. Comedy gold. BOYD scanning her later likewise so.

The second best line and line read of the episode goes to Louie/Bobby Monihan. “That is not comforting, I do not want to die”. He couldn’t of summed up Louie in one line any better.

Ludvwig was a national treasure. Not only did I squeel internally when it turned out he was alive but the explination for it was hilarious as it was batshit, and him just causally revealing Webby’s origin was fucking amazing “Ill give you all a moment ot process” The acomplanying “bless me bagpipes” was also amazing.

I do wish we found out where FOWL went but it was probably to leave the remains all free to come back as villians of the week. Frank outright said they had a tailspin sequel episode ready to go.

The Webby and June fight was a masterpiece and I REALLY need to do a top 12 fights list someday.

Lena connecting with the new twins , having pretty much the same background of being created by a villian for shitty reasons.

“one is silver and the other is “ “Flintheart glomgold!” they should consider a teamup. What’s a little brainwashing between friends?

“We’re sisters’. No you and violet are sisters, Webby is your girlfriend your both just in denial. I only say this because Webby also thinks Della and Penny are just friends and I feel she simply dosen’t know what being gay is or again is in denial. They’ll get there. Plus it feels like Lena just didn’t want to loose her and would say anything which is valid.

Curtain Call and Final Thoughts:

The Curtain Call was the perfect way to end a spectacular finale. Each bit of it’s a masterpiece, and every character gets one last awesome, heartfelt and hilarous goodbye with the camera and ending how it should: on our five most important characters, in a circle, together, smiling, freefaling into the next adventure. I”d have it no other way and any other series finale credits and last moments will now pale in comparison.

So the finale as a whole is messy, some bits aren’t resolved as good as they could’ve been, Huey go the shaft, and it REALLY needed another episode leading into it to help take the pressure off. While it needed 90 minutes for the plot it had to tell, it needed more to build up to that and while the season was tight with episodes they BADLY needed one more they didn’t get or even a subplto to help take the load off this episode.

But even with that... it was an utterly awesome finale on par with other recent standouts like “Let’s Fight to the End”/ “Thank you For Watching the Show” (Both feel like finales to me but in diffrent ways), “The Future” and the whole arc leading up to it, both parts of “Heart” and “Nice While It Lasted” . It was heartstopping, heartrending and heartfelt and ended the show as it should be: with over the top insanity, big reveals, a hell of a final battle.. and a focus on family. It’s not the perfect finale, and I defintely need more ducktales.. but it’s still a classic one and one of the series finest hours.. literally in this case.

I.. am going to miss this series. I went into it before but it’s thanks to this series I make a living. If you’d like to contribute to that, I have a patreon, patreon.com/popculturebuffet, my next stretch goal is a darkwing duck epsiode a month so kick in a buck won’t you? and take comissions so if theres an episode from the first two seasons that’s not part of the season 1 arc (I’m almost done there) or Lena’s story (already being paid for that) feel free to shoot me a line to comissoin it for five bucks an episode.

But more than that it was an excellent well crafted show that took a franchise I love and updated it for a new generation. My nieces love it, I love it, and I will always love it for that. Young or old, this show as phenominal, it was stupdendous.. it was a duckblur. It will remain in my heart for probaly the rest of my life among such shows as Steven Universe, Parks and Recreation, The Venture Bros, Letterkenny, DBZ Abriged, and so many more that have touched my life. It was simply the best. And i’m going to miss it. Thank you for reading this, i’ll see you at another rainbow, if not one quite like this.

Next on this Blog: Duck week continues after this review took two days to complete. Sorry about that. Our heroes head to castle McDuck and Dewey is forced to face the consequences of his actions, while Scrooge yells at his dad , his dad yells at him and his mom is the most precious thing tha’ts ever lived. Also Launchpad in Donald Cosplay. And it won’t stop there as till saturday the rest of the week is all dedicated to Ducktales as I finish up the Della and Lena arcs for season 1 and get started on Lena’s last three episodes. So if you liked some ducktales, stick around. And once again.. thank you.

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batmanego · 4 years

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Do you have any comic book recs that are short? Like one-shots or mini series?

YESSSSSSS!!!! so many!!!

here’s a list of some personal favorite mini/maxi series of mine (with links!)

MINI-SERIES:

dark knights: death metal robin king (1 issue)

background knowledge required: middling. this takes place in the death metal storyline, so it’s nice to know what’s going on. but honestly, robin king’s story operates on its own pretty well as a glimpse into bruce waynes that could have been (and are!). i love robin king i think he’s adorable. tw for gore though.

nubia: real one (graphic novel)

background knowledge required: none. nubia’s backstory and connection to wondy is given and explained. HEAVY tw for police brutality, racism, school shootings, sexual harassment and the like. nubia: real one is written by a black woman and as such handles the topics fairly well, but it can still be upsetting.

year one: batman/scarecrow (2 issues)

background knowledge required: none! dive right in. gives us jon’s backstory and, provided you know who batman is, you get the gist real quick. great read, great art, great time.

timber wolf (5 issues)

background knowledge required: not much! this was my first brin comic. easy and quick. features one of lobo’s bastard sons, thrust! funny antics ensue. good story, good characters, some wacky coloring mistakes.

event leviathan (6 issues)

background knowledge required: some. you should probably know who the characters are, but other than that, it’s pretty easy. not a huge fan of b and jason’s characterizations here, but plas is in it (huge thumbs up) and he’s very weirdly homoerotic with the question.

plastic man 2018 (6 issues)

background knowledge required: none! jump right in! you see eel’s backstory, the villains are self explanatory, it’s a great characterization and a great read. has a canon trans character (two, if you count eel!) and is wonderfully written.

collapser (6 issues)

background knowledge required: absolutely none. this is a free floating comic. fun art, fun characters, fun story.

eternity girl (6 issues)

background knowledge required: like collapser, absolutely none. this series stands alone. heavy tw for suicide and self harm. it’s a heavy story but it’s really amazing. definitely worth a read.

MAXI-SERIES

black canary 2015 (12 issues)

gonna be honest, been too long for me to remember much about this comic, but the art is fuckin gorgeous.

metal men 2019 (12 issues)

background knowledge required: not too much. happens during death metal, so there’s alternate universe shenanigans. overall, just a fun read if you wanna watch a very sad scientist get even sadder.

doom patrol 2016 (12 issues)

background knowledge required: sssssome, but it’s nowhere near necessary. you can get a handle on the characters pretty quick, even if i would recommend reading morrison patrol first. fun read, fun characters, fun ending. followed by doom patrol: weight of the worlds, a 7 issue series of one-shots focusing on alternate universe versions of the doom patrol.

shade the changing girl (12 issues)

background knowledge required: some, but it’s not necessary. basically, she’s the successor to shade the changing man, but you get the gist of her whole deal pretty quickly, and reading his comics isn’t essential. he does appear in this series and his characterization isn’t... great.... but. if you’re just reading for loma, go for it. followed by shade the changing woman (6 issues).

dc/young animal: milk wars (graphic novel)

background knowledge required: read doom patrol 2016, shade the changing girl, aaaaand probably eternity girl first. the rest is pretty self explanatory and honestly if you wanna jump right in and see batman as a priest, i don’t blame you. it’s cool and really fucking weird. but it’s super fun! you should read milk wars!

hope this helped you find something good to read!!! much love

#dc #long post #I love comics!!!!#comic recommendations

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regrettablewritings · 3 years

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Animatic/Storyboard Music

Got bored/procrastinate-y on coloring in this ultra intricate card for my mom. So I’m just gonna make a list of songs I think make for good animatic material. Because why not/I wanna foist my musical tastes on people/ @locke-writes got me in a music binge. For the most part, it’s just gonna be me explaining the meanings or the vibe or what they generally tend to be used for, but really it’s mostly subjective so imaginate whatchu wanna.

“Trust Me” - The Devil’s Carnival Originally depicting a story about the Scorpion and the Frog, it’s the perfect song for when you want to depict the dynamic between a gullible or at the very least more grounded character and a figure whose intentions . . . may be less than pure. Or good for anyone, really.

“The Dismemberment Song” - The Blue Kid I have a playlist dedicated to songs whose content and sound are just . . . not married to one another, but got a weird flirtationship situation going on. Anyway, I’ve seen people say that they like to imagine it’s sung through the POV of a scorned housewife who’s finally Had Enough™️. And . . . They’re really not wrong for it. Really, though, it’s just the right song for when a sadist is just ready to gut a fucker but is disturbingly jolly about it.

“Love Me Dead” - Ludo Continuing with my trend of songs about people in less than ideal situations, “Love Me Dead” is straight to the point: The relationship is just awful and the guy gets nothing from it, but he can’t help but be hopelessly in a state of adoration for the woman he’s latched on to (“You’re born of a jackal! YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL!!”)

“Constellations” - The Oh Hellos There actually isn’t a plot to this song, it just feels really good (as all songs by The Oh Hellos are prone to be). However, if you feel a need to portray the concept of having to reorganize your thoughts after realizing that maybe they weren’t what you initially thought, and then coming to the conclusion that even though everything changes as a result, you’ll be alright? This is the song for you.

“A Kindling of Sorts” - The Oh Hellos An instrumental piece that is like . . . It’s related to another song of theirs about nationalism called “Torches”, so make of that what you will. (I personally have been using it to imagine storyboarding an opening for an animated The Witcher series.)

“The Other Side” - The Greatest Showman I know everyone and their mom has used this to portray situations like villains trying to get good guys to join their side. But I dun curr, it’s a fun song. That, and I like what Emilyamio did with her interpretation. It’s fun. For a basic rundown, know it’s another song about two characters’ dynamics being explored, with one coming to the other with a proposal that they join them in whatever endeavors they have in store. It’s often portrayed as something evil, but it really doesn’t have to be, as the original context was more about letting loose than anything.

“The Thief and the Moon” - Shawn James A much more mellow piece. Simple and straight to the point: A thief tells the Moon that he plans on stealing her light to shade the world in darkness. The Moon insists that the thief would only doom the world by doing so, to which the thief clarifies that he doesn’t care; if the world is shrouded in shadow, it means he will be able to steal with more ease (“My very existence is a race to attain wealth”). Disgusted, the Moon essentially curses the man with a warning that his greed can and will bring about his end -- and leave him to be forgotten by the rest of mankind, once it happens.

“Villainous Thing” - Shayfer James I’ve seen people say that this song is about singing to a cadaver but I can’t quite find anything confirming that (translation: I’m too lazy to look too into it). Regardless, it’s a fun ditty that yet again portrays someone with less than pure intentions encouraging someone to join him in some good old fashion villainy, as they’ve clearly endured their fair share of hardships and surely wanted to do evil anyway (“You’ll find no ever after here, it’s clear that isn’t what you came for“).

“Necromancin Dancin” - Bear Ghost Straight forward and fun as fuck: A necromancer apparently seems to cross classes and try his hand at barding by not only raising an army of the dead, but by also making them dance in order to make conquering the world easier. Because . . . a body doing Disco Duck isn’t scary, I guess.

"Aquaman” - Walk the Moon A song about one half of a couple wanting to become more involved in their relationship, but still having some nervousness about doing so. If you somehow haven’t heard this song yet, you gotta because it’s the cutest shit.

“Jenny’s Tale” - Ren I’ll be brutally honest, it’s about a woman named Jenny who just wants to get home after a long day of work and an unfortunate encounter with a 14 year old named Screech who gets way in over his head. As in, like, a death happens. That being said, I need. Like. An animated music video of this song. I imagine this shit in gritty charcoal or painted on glass, it just needs this. Somebody who isn’t me who knows what they’re doing, please look into this.

“The Curse of the Fold” - Shawn James As cheesy as it sounds, it basically boils down to not giving up or yielding. But what makes it so cool is the fact that Shawn James makes all his songs basically sound like a western gothic soundtrack. Which helps, because he admits that the title is also a reference to poker, in which giving up too often or too easily can often rob you of a delicious reward gained through perseverance and sacrifice.

“Thank God I’m Not You” - Himalayas I prefer to imagine this for an arrogant asshole of a character. Because that’s exactly what this song is about: They’re a liar and a thief, they’ve been called the son of Satan, and yet they consider themselves lucky -- ‘cause at least they ain’t you! If you have a character in mind who’s a delightful, punchable little shit, this is probably either their anthem or at least on the playlist you inevitably made for them.

"Passerine" - The Oh Hellos So there’s a common trend in The Oh Hellos’ discography that tends to explore the two founders’ experiences with faith and their growth in how they understand it or recognize it. With “Passerine”, the concept being explored is the experience they had when it came to taking a step back and realizing just how many of their supposed “fellow Christians” were actually doing some rather unchristian things, so to speak. When they “prune[d] their feathers”, it became clear that they had less in common with certain people proclaiming to be Christian while also spouting bigotry and greed. However, the desire to move away from such influences comes with the feeling of being torn, as moving too far away from the Bible leaves the singer feeling as though she is betraying something she holds dear. As a result, “Passerine” symbolizes not a breakage from faith, but a breakage from blind faith as they understood it, and the inevitable feeling of being torn that comes along with expanding upon how one views their beliefs and those around them. It’s therefore not uncommon to see Good Omens animatics using this song. (Something I also noticed is that throughout the song, you hear pieces of “Constellations”. TOH have a tendency to reference previous pieces, and considering “Constellations” is a song about changing perspective and the meanings we apply to them, it fits in beautifully with a song about reevaluating one’s stance.)

“Like the Dawn” - The Oh Hellos As stated before, a lot of TOH’s discography draws inspiration from their faith. In this case, it’s an outright retelling of the Garden of Eden, specifically when Adam awoke to find Eve had been created. What makes this iteration stand out to most, however, is that the singer is female, which seems to change the vibe you get. It sweetens the feeling of wonder we often forget the first man might’ve felt upon seeing somebody made for him, creating an air of beauty yet comfort with such lines as “And like the dawn, you broke the dark and my whole earth shook” or “You were the brightest shade of sun I had ever seen.” Even without the awareness or an interest in religious influences, it still manages to be a very feel-good song -- which is the mark of an overall good song in general!

“Confession” - RED Dealing with the constant battle of feeling ashamed that how you feel on the inside isn’t in sync with how you present yourself on the outside. That you should feel bad for smiling out at the world while screaming and thrashing -- like it’s a lie. But you can’t help it: It’s what you’re accustomed to. Though it does end on a hopeful note with the singer deciding that they want to reach out for help and rid themselves of this feeling of pain they have inside.

“When I Grow Up” - Matilda . . . Only if you want to cry. Seriously. When you’re a kid, everything seems difficult but you’re positive that once you grow up, everything will change: You’ll be tall enough to climb the trees you were too small to, you’ll be able to carry everything because you’re stronger, you’ll be brave enough to fight the monsters hiding in your room, you’ll finally have all the answers. . . . But life isn’t that simple. We wish it were, but it isn’t. There’s this bittersweetness about this song, about a sense of purity we unfortunately grow out of where we think things will be just the same enough for us to do what we want when we want, but things are more complicated than that. We still struggle to reach, to bear the weight, to not be afraid, to have even a fraction of the answers. But! We’re reminded that just because we’re told life isn’t fair, doesn’t mean we have to take it. After all, nothing changes when nothing happens. And even beyond that? It helps to remember that we’re never quite done growing up; there’s always more to learn, so remember to be patient with yourself.

“Hand Me My Shovel, I’m Going In!” - Will Wood and the Tapeworms This is . . . a song. The lyrics are honestly kinda all over the place and shooting rapid fire, making it a bit difficult to discern what exactly the singer is going on about. It makes for a pretty crazy song that suggests somebody’s going unhinged, which is apparently precisely the intention?? I’ve seen a lot of people interpret this as a song about a guy who is already at a low point in his life but nonetheless is going, “. . . I bet I can go deeper. Hand me my shovel.”

“No Reason” - Beetlejuice God if i had a youtube channel the segment i would spend on this song would be so juicy just ripe and thicc with thoughts and feelings i tell ya rich like a fresh fatty peach the apple that tempted Eve and gagged Adam yes ‘Nother song that explores the dynamic between two differing people and their worldviews. At its simplest, “No Reason” is about two opposite ends of a spectrum coming to a head: Idealistic and hippie-dippy Delia is convinced that everything happens for a reason, while cynical and depressed Lydia asserts that everything happens at random and it doesn’t matter anyway because we’re all going to die. And even though the delivery is ultimately a comedic one, you get more insight as to why one another feels the way that they do: Lydia, as we’ve previously learned, has recently lost her mother to an illness, which has left her depressed and feeling invisible (a theme in the show); whereas Delia’s failed marriage and desperate attempts to nonetheless be happy have left her dependent on the idea that these things had to have happened for a reason, otherwise, her pain would’ve been for nothing. What’s important is that neither side is actually appointed as the winner, with the song ultimately ending that the universe is random for a reason.

“Barbara 2.0″ - Beetlejuice Without spoiling anything (or at least too much), “Barbara 2.0″ is about growth. It’s about learning to put your foot down after a literal lifetime of being passive out of fear of what might happen and just accepting that nothing will happen if nothing happens -- but that doesn’t make whatever happens good.

“Bleed Magic” - IDHKBTFM It’s either about a killer or a vampire. No, seriously: When Dallon Weekes was asked about what the story of the song was, that was his answer. I personally prefer to think of it as a vampire or demon of some kind, given that the song came out around Halloween. Perfect for yet another example of somebody (likely supernatural) having an upper hand on an unsuspecting mortal. ...I have way too many of these on this list, I swear I don’t have a problem —

“Feel Good Drag” - Anberlin A toxic relationship of sorts. In that it shouldn’t be a relationship to begin with. Depicts the singer being approached by an ex, who seeks a one-night stand while her current boyfriend is out of town. However, the singer is aware that trying to continue anything regardless of the situation is a moot point: Even when they were together, their relationship was doomed from the start, and nothing about that is going to change -- especially now.

“Soviet Trumpeter” - Katzenjammer (It’s kinda difficult to work with this one but I’ve seen people work with less or stranger.) Based off the life of one Eddie Rosner, a Jewish Polish trumpeter whose fame within the USSR unfortunately faded due to the Soviet Union’s heavy censorship. Even if nothing is to be done with it, it still paints a melancholic picture of a talented man’s skills being largely unknown as a result of things beyond his control. All wrapped up in a song that denotes a strange deterioration in a way I can’t quite place.

“Apple Blossom” - The White Stripes On its face, it’s a very sweet song: The singer encourages his beloved to be vulnerable enough with him to tell him her troubles and to let him “sort them out for [her]”. She’s clearly saddened, and seeing so distresses him to where he insists that he will do whatever he can to make her happy. However, the tone of the song and certain lines make it easy to twist into yet another song of a character attempting to seduce somebody into a state of vulnerability . . .

“You’ve Got Possibilities” - It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s Superman The one singular song people actually liked from this forgotten musical. Perfect for when somebody intends on giving somebody else a makeover. Y’know, after totally roasting them on their posture and clothing. If you want to add a lil something extra, know that the context is that a lady wants to give Clark Kent a makeover, insisting that in spite of his schlubby appearance, there’s gotta be something underneath. I repeat: She is telling this to Clark freaking Kent.

“Still” - Anastasia In the context, the show’s antagonist (not bad guy, there’s a difference) finds himself torn between obligation and personal interest: Does he fulfill his duty and live up to expectations set upon him by his father and the society he’s been selected to help uphold? Or does he let a woman he has become fond of go? Is she truly as innocent as she claims? Or is she well aware of what she’s doing? And every time he thinks he’s reached a conclusion, he can’t help but thing, “But still . . .” Good for when you want to portray a character conflicted between obligations of politics and what their heart wants.

“Two Nobodies in New York” - [title of show] Two young men plan on entering an upcoming theatrical festival but struggle with what to even submit. This song in particular focuses on them trying to figure out what to even write, the concept of fame, and if wanting the certain things that may come with fame can mean anything from being sell-outs to getting a sitcom. It’s admittedly specific, but it’s a cute and funny interaction between two guys who are, for the most part, actually in sync with their thoughts and anxieties. For the time being.

“Into the Unknown” - Idina Menzel Look, I refuse to watch that movie. I just do. But I will take this song over That Other One any day. Mostly because I personally like to imagine that the singer in this song is about to embark on a Pixaresque journey after accidentally leaving her home during the night of The Wild Hunt, accidentally separating her spirit from her body and thus giving her a very limited time to get back to it before she remains a soul trapped in a whirlwind of ghosts forever. But first: Let’s sing about that strange howling that coaxes her so.

“You’re Gonna Go Far, Kid” - The Offspring I sure do long songs that can characterize a shithead . . . Anywho! The smoothest way to go is just to portray some cocky, manipulative shit who’s used to just lying and cheating their way to get what they want before slipping away without any consequences -- to a point. There’s the option of portraying the betrayer’s comeuppance, but there’s also the frustratingly delicious option of just letting them get away with whatever to lie another day.

“Why Should I Worry” - Billy Joel When in doubt, go to earlier Disney. Because like it or not, they had some bops. And when in the need of portraying a happy-go-lucky (probably idiotic) doofus and his more neurotic or cynical friend going about their life with the former just Mr. Magooing it while the latter suffers more realistic consequences? You go with this song. If you want. That’s just me.

“Transformation” - Brother Bear For when you want to invoke a mystical or otherworldly feeling. There’s really not much more I can say except to encourage you to listen to it and watch the scene if you can find it. You’ll get the vibe.

“No Girl’s Toy” - Raggedy Ann and Andy: A Musical Adventure It’s a big shame this movie is relatively unknown and never got a proper VHS release or anything -- mainly because the music in this cult classic is definitely stuff I could see becoming standards. I could see people performing “I Never Get Enough” for little shows, or recycling “Blue” for a different show. Thankfully, somebody was able to upload a clear enough sounding recording of “No Girl’s Toy”, so at least we have that. In context (just...follow me on this), Raggedy Ann’s brother, Raggedy Andy, has had enough of being subjected to “girly things” while in the nursery. Additionally, though, the way the song was written means it can also be interpreted as just a guy who refuses to let himself be yanked around regardless of how thick the sugar being laid on him is. . . . If you wanna poke fun as a character for trying to appear tougher than what he is, here’s the song. (That being said, Andy is a sweetheart at the end of the day. No amount of tough-fronting will hide that.)

“I Enjoy Being a Girl” - Flower Drum Song (It is by sheer coincidence that this song follows the above.) Really, it’s exactly what it says on the tin: The singer enjoys being a girl and what all it entails for her. She loves her feminine form, she loves the attention she gets, she loves dolling herself up, she loves frilly dresses, and she hopes to one day marry a guy who enjoys “having a girl like [her].” And honestly? Good on her! Love whatcha love, lovely! Seriously, though, it’s a cute song for anyone who just wants to indulge in some girliness.

“Chip on My Shoulder” - Legally Blonde Come on: It’s Legally Blonde. You know what this bop is, or at least have an idea of it. But since I love this song, I’ll indulge: Disheartened by her failure to both win back her ex and succeed in the fast-paced environment of Harvard, the normally bright-eyed Elle is ready to call it quits. That is, until junior partner Emmett gets involved. Unimpressed by her story, Emmett reveals that he got to where he was by busting his ass due to having a chip on his shoulder from his rough beginnings — and maybe a chip on the shoulder is exactly what Elle needs to survive. And as somebody driven by spite, I can appreciate that kind of message. Anywho, it all in all is a song about growth and learning how to be “driven as hell” to keep up with an opportunity that may not be easy to take, but is not one to be passed by.

“What Do I Need with Love?” - Thoroughly Modern Millie “What Do I Need with Love?” asks exactly that: He could date a different girl every night of the week if he so wanted, and never once had any desire to go steady before. He considers himself lucky to have never fallen for anyone -- until now. Which he’s not! He’s not in love. ...He totally is and, by his own admission, he’s got it bad it’s terribly adorable.

“Interlude IV” - Zach Callison The entire album is actually a narrative about a failed relationship of Callison’s and I’m sure the other songs are just as great fuel for animatics -- I’m just too caught up on listening to this one over and over. Sometimes, we just wanna listen to Steven Universe cuss and be openly furious. Seriously, though, even without the context of the rest of the story, you get the idea well enough: A spiteful Zach decides to get back at the one that broke his heart in such a painful way, whereas a well-meaning friend insists they just leave it be and move on. While this technically would be the better and healthier option, Zach is just too far gone with rage to let it go and decides to take care of things by himself.

“Evermore” - Beauty & the Beast Look, I know the remake wasn’t anything crazy. But also I don’t honestly care too terribly much. Besides, this song was nice and it really gets me after that key change. We all want a royal doofus to be enamored enough with us to let us go for our own happiness but still know that their life will forever be changed because they met us. Animate that shit. Over and over.

goddamn this list is long lemme just stop this now byyyyeeeee

#long post #boop #music post #sorta

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marysfoxmask · 4 years

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“the secret garden” (2020) review

(warning: spoilers!)

just watched the latest adaptation again! i wanted to see it a second time to really get my thoughts and feelings together. and, while i think it was a good effort, ultimately i was disappointed. my instincts when i first saw the trailer were more or less correct—really vibrant, flashy visuals ultimately subtract from the low-key nature of the book. when adapting a story about realizing the magic in mundanity, realizing the magic inherent to the turning of the seasons and the growing of plants that we usually take for granted, it’s monumentally better to prioritize realism over fantasy.

mary’s character was served the best by the new film, though sadly that isn’t saying too much. while i understood that this mary would be different from her book counterpart, i definitely felt the original’s absence more than i would have liked. the mary of this film is just too well-adjusted, to the point where her arc is less about a spiritually stunted, completely neglected child becoming healthy and whole through the power of nature and socialization (as it is in the novel) and more about a vaguely troubled child apologizing to the specter of her late mother for feeling badly about being neglected, which is essentially the opposite of what burnett was getting at.

was anyone pining for a mrs. lennox redemption story? the same woman who, as per the book, never wanted a child and only cared about going to parties? i’ll forever be baffled by people being more invested in the adults and their ponderous backstories rather than the emotional development of the child protagonists; this film seems a lot more interested in the impact of the deaths of mary and colin’s mothers, to a bizarre degree. “grace” craven (really? was “lilias” not good enough?) and her sister (this and the 1993 film both depart from the book, where mary’s father is related to lilias, in favor of making mrs. lennox and mrs. craven twins—a decision i’m confused by in terms of thematic relevance on both accounts) are never characterized more than being essentially the angels of misselthwaite. they float by, laughing gaily, dressed in white, at points during the film. they are bittersweet representations of the idealized past and, at one point, guardians of their loved ones left behind.

i’ve never enjoyed the romanticization of lilias craven in any adaptation. mary calls the fairytale trope of beautiful princesses falling asleep in a garden for a hundred years stupid in the novel; and what is lilias but a princess eternally sleeping in her beloved garden? she’s beautiful and innocent and good and thoroughly uninteresting. she’s the angel of the house, embarrassingly dated compared to her imperfect, misfit niece, who is coming awake and growing healthy while lilias is frozen in amber, a beautiful idealized figure even in death. the interest in her in this film, the broadway musical—and even the 1993 movie, to an extent—seems to completely contradict the point of the novel, fetishizing the past and resisting lending enough focus to the events of the present. mary is a spunky, interesting, flawed heroine who doesn’t need to share the spotlight with any angels of the manor; the story of the secret garden is one about healing from trauma, not wallowing in it.

that isn’t even touching on the decision to have mrs. lennox be an apparently good person brought low by depression following her beloved twin’s death. i find this adaptive choice to be positively loathsome. mrs. lennox, as a character, is a bad mother and a silly, foolish person, point blank, period. she hands baby mary off to an ayah the moment she’s born, keeps her isolated and locked up, and insists that the ayah keep mary quiet lest “the mem sahib” become angry. when given the chance of evacuating due to the cholera epidemic raging, she instead stays in order to go to a party. she’s a frivolous character whose superficial prioritization of amusement leads directly to her death. she doesn’t need a sympathetic reason to be neglectful to mary; she doesn’t need to be sympathetic at all. the decision to make that a priority in this latest adaptation hurts mary’s character. when she tells her uncle that it was too hot to play in india (a sentiment taken directly from the novel), it doesn’t ring true—in the multiple flashbacks to india, mary plays a lot with her loving father (her ayah, while mentioned, is rarely seen; what we see of india is populated entirely by privileged whites), and is shown to enjoy herself tremendously until she glimpses her mother wilting sadly on a cushion or something. it undermines what little development mary has in the film.

the prioritization of mary and colin's mothers in general make the film feel weirdly overstuffed while giving little weight/emphasis to the events present in the source material. how many lines did major secondary characters like dickon or martha have, for example, compared to all the waffling mary and colin do about whether or not their mothers loved them and whether mary really killed her mother or not they, at the end of the day, really knew their parents, et cetera, et cetera? it’s a frustratingly shallow addition to the original story, devoid of thematic relevance.

speaking of shallow additions…

hector, a stray dog, assumes the role of the book’s robin (bizarre, considering the robin is also present), being the friendly animal character that leads mary to the secret garden. i’m not sure why the decision to add hector was made; he’s also the catalyst for mary leading dickon to the garden, while she needed no such thing in the book. did marc munden feel kids wouldn’t sympathize so readily with mary befriending a bird, despite the success of all the other adaptations saying otherwise? hector gets a lot of attention in the film, which is frustrating, because so much of the movie is filled with strange original additions that say little.

despite the clear talent of the actors and the vividness of the visuals, the changes to the story are devoid of purpose. the time period, for instance—why 1947? why have mary’s orphaning take place during the partition of india when her parents die of cholera anyway? why make martha and dickon black when the script pussyfoots around it, refusing to interact with that aspect of their characters in the same way burnett directly (if somewhat tactlessly) interacts with their poverty? save for vague, implicatory dialogue, like the threat of having poor dickon whipped if he’s sighted in misselthwaite by mrs. medlock, the racism of the time period isn’t featured at all. martha is stripped of any characterization at all, her cheerfulness diluted to the point of being nonexistent once mary gets a bit snappy. perhaps the decision to mute martha’s characterization was made out of fear of the implications of a black maid being cheerfully nurturing to a white girl despite her cruelty (invoking the mammy stereotype)—but if so, why make the decision to change martha’s race at all?

the structure of the film is odd, too. mary meets colin early on (in the book, mary explicitly states that she’d hate the imperious and bratty colin if she hadn’t met kindly martha or dickon first) and doesn’t meet dickon until halfway through. why? it directly contradicts the novel for no particular reason; it doesn’t help that dickon is so underused that he’s virtually a non-entity, his three whole canonical character traits (poor! happy! in tune with nature!) watered down to nothing. In this film, dickon isn’t particularly happy (he’s just as solemn and damaged as the other two kids, though in a more subdued way, as his father has died in the war—it’s frustrating that his rich white peers get to air their mommy issues at length while poor dickon’s grief is only glanced at) and his skill with animals is only vaguely alluded to. his skill with plants, negated by the apparent flourishing of the secret garden even when no one’s looking after it, is only brought up when, in one scene taking place in the garden, colin asks dickon what certain plants are.

it’s also frustrating that dickon, the only poor and nonwhite character in the trio, is the only one doing only actual gardening work while his friends sit around and talk about their trauma. the whole time, i wanted to urge mary to stop indulging in her overactive imagination for once and pull some weeds or something. putting in the work to make her secret garden flourish is an important part of her growth in the book, but that’s entirely absent here in favor of the occasional frolic. dickon even eventually whittles colin a cane he uses to eventually stumble into his father’s arms. this gesture should be touching and evident of the strength of the boys’ (offscreen) bond but instead is only another example of dickon selflessly and thoughtlessly serving his betters, making the classist implications of burnett’s original story more obviously troubling by adding race into the mix. it’s also bizarre that mary can cartwheel but dickon can’t, given how physically adept he was in the book. poor dickon is sapped of all his accomplishments, it seems. his character is completely glossed over, though i do like his feistiness in his meeting with mary, with him coming out of the mist and sharply remarking that martha loves him much more than she likes her. even more sadly, unlike his ‘93 counterpart, he doesn’t even get to eat a worm.

mrs. medlock is one-notedly antagonistic, being hard-nosed and strict and disapproving of mary’s wild ways—which is also disappointing. she’s not outright villainous, but she’s denied the shades of sympathy allowed her by the original novel, where she was a straightforward, unsentimental woman working a thankless job trying to satisfy and care for a tyrannical little hypochondriac. she’s also probably the closest thing we have in the movie to a xenophobe/racist, frequently making coded comments about the primitive and savage nature of the english colonies in india where mary grew up, but that’s only ever hinted at without being called out by mary or anyone else. there’s also an odd moment at the beginning of the film where mrs. medlock states the book-accurate sentiment that nothing lives on the moor but wild ponies and sheep, yet mary sees in the mist multiple shadowy figures with what i think are wheelbarrows and gardening tools (it’s a bit hard to tell with all the mist). this probably is meant to clue mary in to medlock’s classism, foreshadowing that mary will be given insight to the outdoors and different people in a way medlock could never be, changing her views of the class hierarchy she’s been inundated by—i’m not sure what else can be gleaned by the contradiction of medlock’s words and what mary sees but that—but nothing is done with it. we never see anyone on the moor but dickon throughout the rest of the movie. it’s another missed opportunity. maybe it’s meant to set up that there are poachers on the moor who set traps, like the one hector is hurt by? after seeing the movie twice, i’m still not sure what the purpose of that imagery was.

there are parts of the film i enjoyed! all the children do wonderfully in their roles (amir wilson does well with what frustratingly little he has), and i enjoyed this film’s characterization of colin as somewhat stiff, with a practiced, affected way of speaking that subtly indicates that he’s spent more time with books than with people. it makes a nice contrast to mary’s plainspokenness as a (relatively classless) orphan and dickon’s “rough” (lower-class) yorkshire accent, showing off his education and status as an upper-class boy.

the scene just before mary shows colin the tree his mother died beneath, when colin asks dickon about the names of flowers, is very sweet and book-accurate; i especially appreciate the nod to the kids’ book mastery of yorkshire, with colin mimicking dickon’s speech and noting that the names of the flowers sound better in his accent.

i also loved him calling dickon handsome. it is socially awkward? yes. does it make sense for colin to be socially awkward? also yes. and it’s adorable and book-accurate, in my opinion; if dickon weren’t so homely in the book, i imagine colin would call him handsome there, too. and mary proudly stating that dickon can whistle, as well, is lovely.

similarly, mary and dickon teaching colin to swim is very sweet—while i found most of the garden’s cgi magic wholly dispensable, i did enjoy the plants shivering along with colin. that sort of playfulness felt very attuned to the innocence of the book.

edan hayhurst does a wonderful job playing colin haughty and upset and an equally lovely job playing colin giddy and happy—if only he’d been allowed to really show off his screaming in a proper adaptation of his hysterics, instead of the pale imitation we got in the film!

it’s funny to note how much these kids get enjoyment out of pretending to be dogs. mary barks at hector when she first makes friends with him, pretends to be a yorkshire terrier with dickon when hector gets well in the garden, all the kids start barking when playing together, mary recites in a letter that colin pretended to be a dog all day...these kids sure love to bark. it’s not a bad thing, necessarily, just funny. why the dog obsession, marc munden? though i like the idea of them pretending to be animals (the masks they wear at one point are lovely), dogs feel a very typical choice. still, i can’t help but get enjoyment out of the kids playing together, though these moments are sadly brief.

i also really enjoyed all of mary’s outfits. they were adorable. if only we could have gotten more interactions between the children! part of the beauty of the second half of the novel is just watching the kids be kids in the garden; we rarely get that in all of the adaptations, of course, but in this one i was particularly sorrowful, given all the new directions the story went and how none of them directly impacted the children’s friendship with each other. there wasn’t even the mild jealousy colin has over mary spending more time with dickon than she is with him, which is present in most of the films. it’s a real shame; colin doesn’t even know dickon exists until he meets him, in a hurried scene that doesn’t remotely convey the sweetness of their meeting in the novel. the movie flits over all the book’s little idyllic joys in favor of its own original drama (which is not nearly as compelling as the movie thinks it is).

i did also enjoy the ending scene, with the kids swimming together, and mary attempting to tell a story with colin and dickon interrupting. it’s nice to see an ending to this story that doesn’t follow the book, which forgets mary and dickon in favor of colin. i think ending with the kids playing happy and whole in the garden is much more representative of the book’s charms. and the scene where mary and dickon first enter misselthwaite and are giving all-clear signs to one another as they go is fun, too.

i also enjoyed the set design, including all the green present in misselthwaite’s decor. i loved the high ceilings and the bareness of mary’s bedroom. poor colin still didn’t have any proper pajamas, reduced to wearing a white tank top for some reason, though i liked his goofy little hat that he wears when going outdoors. i wish we got to spend more time in colin’s room, and i wish the color saturation had been toned down a little just so we could get a better look at everything. all the insistent gloomy blues felt a bit overbearing.

i love the opening credits, though, and “the secret garden” slowly appearing in the title screen. the music and the soft green of the trees against the words really conjure up the novel’s near-pagan melancholy and mystery.

the less said about the third act climax of misselthwaite burning down, the better. it’s unneeded and resolves a film-only subplot about mary’s mother that didn’t need to be there in the first place. i think it also unfairly paints misselthwaite as a cursed, doomed place that can only benefit its inhabitants by being destroyed, which is unfortunate. misselthwaite wasn’t the problem, its people was, and they only thought misselthwaite was gloomy because they’d made it so. if they’d followed the teachings of burnett’s book, the one they were adapting, and thought a little more positively about it, then maybe they’d find it wasn’t such a terrible place to be. but, then, i guess we wouldn’t have the third act climax to artificially ramp up the stakes. how sad.

i could say more, but i’ll stop for now. i appreciate the effort, like i said, but i can’t help but feel this missed the mark.

#the secret garden #the secret garden 2020 #frances hodgson burnett #movie review #children's classics #classic literature

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multiverseforger · 3 years

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Martin Li is an illegal Chinese immigrant from Fujian province who attempted to travel to America to be with his wife. His mode of transportation, the Golden Mountain, was a slave ship operated by the Snakehead gang as a way to sell Fujian captives as overseas slaves in Kenya. During a storm, the ship's crew evacuated, leaving the captives alone to make a break for the New York shores. Li was the only survivor and spent the following years building a large fortune and dedicating himself to helping those less fortunate.[1]

The story is later revealed to be somewhat false, though only the Mister Negative persona appears aware of it. It is revealed that Mister Negative was actually one of the crew members of the Golden Mountain. When the ship nearly crashed onto the New York shores, he stole the identity of one of the deceased Fujian slaves (the real Martin Li) who was heading to America for the aforementioned reasons. This gang member was eventually captured by the Maggia Don Silvermane and experimented on with a synthetic drug created by Maggia chemist Simon Marshall that could be more potent than heroin. He escaped with the help of two other experimental inmates and soon developed two personalities, the kind-hearted Martin Li and the villainous Mister Negative, the latter of the two developing the ability to generate a black electrical energy that could be used to heal, control others, or charge objects with his touch. The Mister Negative side dedicated himself to becoming Chinatown's Kingpin of Crime while the Martin Li side attempts to run the F.E.A.S.T. center with humility.[2]

Martin Li operates a soup kitchen in Chinatown, the F.E.A.S.T. Project (Food, Emergency Aid, Shelter and Training), where Peter Parker's Aunt May volunteers.[3] Neither Peter nor May are aware of Li's dual identity as a Chinatown crime boss under the Mister Negative name.[4] Despite being a crime lord, Li is a seemingly kind and generous man. The F.E.A.S.T. Project has displayed healing powers for people of various illnesses, although the cause of this healing has yet to be revealed.[volume & issue needed]

During the first story of "Brand New Day" storyline, Mister Negative first comes into conflict with Spider-Man when he makes a power play toward taking control of New York's criminal underworld by attempting to wipe out all existing members of the Karnelli and Maggia crime families using a DNA specific bioweapon called the "Devil's Breath". In exchange for leaving the Maggia families' children alive, he takes a sample of Spider-Man's blood to use in a Devil's Breath formula.[3][4][5] Mister Negative later tries to use the Devil's Breath formula to kill Spider-Man during a fight with the Maggia, but Spider-Man is able to hold his breath long enough to escape alive.[6] Spider-Man then recruits the Black Cat to help steal Spider-Man's remaining blood from Mister Negative and replace it with a vial of pig blood so Mister Negative is unaware of his loss.[7]

Martin Li endorses Bill Hollister for mayor of New York City, putting him against Randall Crowne, adding him to a list of opponents (many of whom become targets of the villain Menace). It also causes him to become the target of a smear campaign by Dexter Bennet, editor of The DB and supporter of Crowne.[8] After Menace is revealed to be Hollister's daughter and Hollister resigns as mayor, Li unsuccessfully runs in a special election, losing to J. Jonah Jameson.[9]

Mister Negative later recruits Hammerhead and offers to put the man's brain in a new robotic adamantium skeleton after having been shot point blank in the head by Underworld. Hammerhead agrees to that and Mister Negative has his surgeon Doctor Tramma perform the procedure.[10]

Mister Negative eventually comes across Eddie Brock, giving a job at his soup kitchen. A touch from him causes Brock's cancerous cells to completely disappear. Also, remnants of the Venom Symbiote fused with Brock's white blood cells react with Mister Negative's power, causing Anti-Venom's existence during a conflict with Mac Gargan, the Venom Symbiote's host.[11] After the F.E.A.S.T center is torn apart during the fight between the two, Li discovers from a group of sweatshop workers (from a shop owned by Crowne) that they were experimented on with drugs from Oscorp.[12] Later, Mister Negative and his Inner Demons encounter and battle Anti-Venom. In the aftermath, Brock watches Mister Negative turn into Li, becoming the first to be aware of his dual identity.[13]

During the 2008–2009 "Dark Reign" storyline, Mister Negative refuses to submit to the Hood's rule of conquest of New York's criminal underworld. During a meeting with Hood's henchman White Dragon, Mister Negative corrupts White Dragon and sends the man to attack Hood's headquarters. In retaliation, Hood decides to attack and kill him. H.A.M.M.E.R. seals Chinatown on Hood's behalf and an all out brawl erupts around Li's estate. Hood's gang gets the upper hand until Spider-Man arrives to rescue Martin. However, Spider-Man too is corrupted and sent into battle on Mister Negative's behalf.[1] Spider-Man attacks and pummels the members of Hood's gang who are attacking the villain's headquarters and Mister Negative then sends the web-slinger to kill Betty Brant who is interviewing the real Martin Li's widow and is coming close to the truth. The Hood himself then confronts Mister Negative at his Chinatown headquarters and battles him.[14] During the battle, Mister Negative tries to corrupt Hood but fails. Norman Osborn ends the blockade H.A.M.M.E.R. has on Chinatown when Hammerhead hands papers implicating Oscorp in the aforementioned drug tests on immigrants. An irate Hood decides to kill Mister Negative anyway but he escapes. A later conversation that Osborn has with his own darker Green Goblin side reveals that he now has an alliance with Mister Negative similar to the one with Hood. However, Spot slips in and steals back the evidence of Oscorp's tests, revealing being Mister Negative's mole in the Hood's gang under the promise that he will be cured once they get their revenge on the Maggia.[2]

In the X-Men storyline "Serve and Protect", Mister Negative and his Inner Demons are at San Francisco on attempting to murder a widowed woman who still have a child. When two unidentified heroes, then revealed to be the X-Men Rockslide and Anole in disguise, Mister Negative hired The Serpents, and devise a plan to lure them into their traps, then turning then into his pawn into attacking other X-Men as well. Although his plan foiled by Anole's strategy into using a temporary brainwashed Rockslide, Mister Negative releases the rock mutant hero and vow they will meet again on the other side.[15]

During the 2009 storyline "The Gauntlet", Mister Negative corrupts May Parker when the woman walks in on him punishing an Inner Demon.[16] May manages to break free from Mister Negative's corruption when Peter went to May for moral support after the Lizard devoured Billy Connors and essentially 'killed' Curt Connors.[17]

During the 2010 "Shadowland" storyline, Mister Negative takes the advantage of the conflict against the Hand in a plot to set up a criminal establishment there, only for him and his Inner Demons to run afoul of Spider-Man and Shang-Chi.[18]

Mister Negative later has an encounter with Jackpot and Boomerang.[19] During the "Origin of the Species" storyline, Mister Negative was among the supervillains assembled by Doctor Octopus to secure some items.[20]

During the "Big Time" storyline, Mister Negative is targeted by both Anti-Venom and the new Wraith. When they, along with Spider-Man, interrupt a heroin-smuggling operation, Wraith uses visual recognition software, linked to every television broadcast in New York, to publicly out Mister Negative as Martin Li. When the police approach, Mister Negative and his men retreat. Li is later seen locked in a room by Mister Negative's men who wait for him to change back into their master.[21]

During the 2011 "Spider-Island" storyline, Mister Negative is told of a prophecy that he is destined to be killed by Dagger.[22]

During the 2012 "Avengers vs. X-Men" storyline, Mister Negative and his henchmen invade a S.H.I.E.L.D. facility as a way of taking an advantage of the war between the Avengers and the Phoenix Five, but Hawkeye and Spider-Woman defeat them while having a discussion about their relationship. It is later revealed that they were informed about Mister Negative's plan by Madame Hydra who wanted to get rid of the competition.[23]

During the 2014 "Original Sin" storyline, Mister Negative is seen meeting with the self-proclaimed Goblin King (Phil Urich) who is now leading the Goblin Underground's remnants when it came to them awaiting for Eel II to help divide the criminal underground following the original Goblin King's defeat. Their meeting is crashed by Black Cat and Electro who demand their share of the plan. When Mister Negative and Urich refuse to listen to Black Cat, the woman reminds them that they were all outed by Spider-Man and will succeed in the goal of defeating Spider-Man.[24]

Following the 2015 "Secret Wars" storyline, Martin Li is arrested at some point. He is rescued by Cloak and Dagger who have been corrupted by his touch and are using patches of the drug known as "Shade" to stimulate the effects of Mister Negative's touch and "remain" loyal to him. After the two break Mister Negative out of the prison ship where Li is being held and revert him to his Negative form, he leads an assault on Parker Industries' Japan branch, which leads to a confrontation with Spider-Man, whom Negative manages to touch.[25] Although Peter exhibits an immunity to Negative's corruption power, Negative escapes to his Hong Kong headquarters and reverts to Li. Li later sees a video message from Negative that he is targeting a philanthropist named Shen Quinghao, the former leader of the criminal Snakehead Syndicate which controlled the slave ship where Li became Mister Negative, and makes a proposal to Li, which Li accepts.[26] His plan fails, and after Cloak and Dagger are eventually are freed from Negative's control, they vow to remain in Hong Kong to protect it from Negative's future efforts.[27]

During the "Sins Rising" arc, a revived Sin-Eater steals the powers of Mister Negative and uses it to corrupt the guards at Ravencroft when he targets Norman Osborn. He also uses the powers to corrupt the clone of Ashley Kafka into releasing Juggernaut.[28]

A man claiming to be "Martin Li" shows up at the FEAST building seeking help as the Inner Demons attack.[29] This "Martin Li" later surrenders to the Inner Demons. Mister Negative meets with Mayor Wilson Fisk and informs him that they will need the sister counterpart of the Tablet of Life and Destiny called the Tablet of Death and Entropy. As Mister Negative has the item, he states to Mayor Fisk that their desired function can only be used when both items are together. Mayor Fisk allows Mister Negative to control Chinatown and the Lower East Side. Obtaining the Tablet of Life and Destiny from Spider-Man and Boomerang puts Mister Negative in competion with Black Mariah, a Crime Master, Diamondback, Hammerhead, Madame Masque, Owl, Silvermane, and Tombstone.[

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victoirebisset · 4 years

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[ VICTOIRE ELISE BISSET. 28. CISFEMALE. SHE/HER] is here! They’ve lived in Silver Lake for [ SIX MONTHS ] and are originally from [ WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS ]. They are a [ PUBLICIST ] and in their downtime love [ CATCHING A MOVIE AT CINEMA PARADISO ] and [ ENJOYING A NICE BOTTLE OF RED WINE ]. They look a lot like [ ELIZABETH OLSEN ] and live [ ON SILVERWOOD TERRACE ].

the basics

full name: victoire elise bisset.

nicknames: v or vic. never, and i do mean never, vicky.

birthplace: wellesley, massachusetts.

birthdate: january 9th, 1992.

zodiac sign: capricorn.

alignment: chaotic good.

personality type: estj.

personality traits: dogmatic, loquacious, reliable, patient, rancorous, affable, critical & forthright.

gender: cisfemale.

sexual / romantic orientation: heterosexual / heteroromantic.

the biography

the daughter to a (now) disgraced politician coming from old money and a disgruntled, yet loyal to a fault, housewife, there was never a time victoire didn’t know luxury — or chaos.

as a matter of fact, her entrance to the world was an example of both. the first — and what would ultimately be only — child to gabriel and nicolette bisset, there was no expense spared as they prepared for her arrival; hundreds of designer onesies she’d grow out of within weeks were purchased, an italian artist flown in and commissioned to hand paint a mural in her nursery and her mother only received the finest of prenatal care. for most, it was an ostentatious display that was NOT needed. but that has always been the bisset way. flamboyant and shameless flaunting of their wealth was the norm as it was, so of course they’d go all out when expecting a baby.

at the same time, there was a certain level of disappointment. as far as her father went, at least. he had been hoping for a son to follow in his footsteps. but, he’d tell his wife in an attempt to convince them both, a little girl wasn’t so bad — he’d love, cherish and spoil her regardless. and he did do at least two of those three things. but that son he’d been hoping for never came. once victoire was born, his wife refused to let him touch her. he assumed it was “baby hormones” but really it was because hours before her baby shower, nicolette had received a call from one of his mistresses confessing the affair because she felt “bad” knowing she was pregnant. nicolette never confronted her husband but their relationship was never the same.

growing up in the lapse of luxury, most would assume vic had nothing to complain about. while her material needs were always met, the emotional ones were often neglected. her mother, bless her heart, tried. but it wasn’t easy for her. nicolette was responsible for raising their child and presenting the bissets as the picture perfect family all while knowing her husband was fucking around on her. who wouldn’t become resentful dealing with that? snide comments were thrown across the dinner table, there were times she’d disappear in her room with a bottle of wine. she’d try to be there for her daughter as much as she could but she struggled. and her father, on the other hand, focused more on his career than his family. a lawyer turned politician, he campaigned, had frequent business meetings and a long list of secret lovers to split his time between. hard to be present with a schedule like that.

gabriel’s career choice was confusing for young victoire. there were those that publicly villainized him and thought he was the devil. there were those that put him on a pedestal. it was overwhelming... and alluring. her father was the mayor of wellesley her entire life and was even campaigning for senate when the “scandal” happened. it was always a part of her life and politics intrigued her. she’d dreamed of being the first woman president.

her father vowed to help her get into politics and the first step of that was hiring her to be his publicist as soon as she graduated from college. it was a blatant act of nepotism but at least she was really freakin’ good at her job. she gets word accusations of bribery would be hitting the local news and that same day there’s a press conference so shots of him shaking hands, kissing babies and making grand promises distracts from the news. his morality is called into question and he’s front and center campaigning for every local charity for six months. it was a bit grimey witnessing fully the seedy underbelly of politics and her idealistic view of it changed drastically. she no longer wanted to be president or a senator or anything else like that. she did, though, learn she really did like pr and enjoyed the role she had. at least until she was expected to pay off her father’s pregnant mistress who was threatening to spill the beans about their illicit affair.

while her mother had known about his infidelities for years, vic had no clue. she always assumed her father was working. that was why he couldn’t come to her recitals or presentations in school. that was why he was late to every single one of her birthday parties. she had convinced herself that her father wasn’t a scumbag but a highly ambitious politician and anyone else in his position would do the same.

to an extent, she had idolized her father — glorifying the parent who was never really there and whose approval she would have died to get. the version of him she had created was destroyed. she was furious, heartbroken and confused. she quit that very day and a week later, the news broke. that one woman speaking out opened the floodgates and years of affairs and other naughty behavior was broadcasted across the state. her mother would have made tammy wynette proud with how she stood by her man but victoire did not follow suit. she worked in public relations so she never outright spoke against him because no one would hire her after publicly blasting a former client in the press. even if it was her father. but she knew how to expertly throw shade. and she did. quite a few times, actually.

after she quit, victoire ended up in new york where she worked with a pr firm for a couple of years before getting a job with a more prestigious one in los angeles which prompted her move to silver lake. it’s been surprisingly difficult for her to adjust to life on the west coast. she’s a new england girl through and through and there’s just something about palm trees and sunshine that feels wrong. she also just really misses her family. well, just her mother really. they make do by facetiming twice a week and they’re even in the middle of discussing flying her out for the holidays. unfortunately, though, it’s unlikely to happen as her mother is insistent on bringing gabriel. victoire hasn’t seen or spoken to her father since the day she told him to go fuck himself and stormed out of his office. not because of any guilt from “abandoning” her father. — she’d add ‘essentially ruined my father’s political career’ to her resume if she thought it’d help her — but because she is still so damn angry. the closest thing to contact they have is him wiring her money every month. this “allowance” isn’t really needed, victoire makes a very good living without needing any of what she calls bisset blood money. but she allows it to continue because she considers it restitution for decades of lackluster parenting and lies.

where victoire really shines is her career. she’s relatively new to the scene — at least compared to most publicists in hollywood — with only seven years of experience under her belt but don’t confuse quantity with quality. if you are a public figure, you want vic on your team. she’s tenacious and, while some may view her methods as underhanded, there is no story she can’t get ahead of. and if she can’t distract from it entirely, she can turn it into a positive or at least paint her client as the victim. duis, public disagreements with significant others, leaked sex tapes. she’s seen it all. she’d dedicated to the cause and makes up her own rules, but also has a strict moral code so she won’t do something or work with someone that goes against that.

victoire thrives in social situations and really loves to hear herself talk. she also tends to assume she’s the smartest person in the room and just expects everyone to go along with what she says. and she doesn’t really handle it well when that doesn’t happen. some may say she’s stubborn, she says she’s a leader who likes to take charge and handle things. she’s a very honest and straightforward person who is clear about her intentions in a relationship whether it’s professional, platonic or romantic. she doesn’t play games, she’s not wishy-washy and she has a tendency to see the world in black and white.

coming from a long line of elitists, vic is proud to say that is at least one pattern she broke. she just isn’t one to parade around her wealth. yes, she has a nice house and she does tend to favor designer brands when it comes to clothing, but there really isn’t anything pretentious about her. the closest you’ll get is her having dinner at a five star restaurant or buying a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine. but that’s only because she likes good food and even better wine. she’s not one to show off and is just as likely to be seen at a fancy hollywood party mingling with clients as she is laying on her couch, wrapped up in blankets and watching golden girls reruns. she’s a combination of dorothy and blanche, by the way.

anyways, i think this is long enough so i’ll wrap it up and just say i am excited to be here and that i look forward to writing with you all. i’ll be reaching out to everyone regarding plots at some point (i say some point because i’m a slow typer with a small attention span who is currently working 60 hours a week so i’m easily distracted AND tired) but you can expedite the process by sending me a message or liking this and i’ll put you at the top of my list. in the meantime, though, feel free to just assume connections. we can go with the flow and i don’t require connections before interacting anyway. aaaand now i’m really stopping!

#slintro #oh my god this is a READ #i'm sorry this is so long #pls love me and her anyway

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fatetimebomb · 5 years

Text

I get it, Fate Stay Night started as a erotic visual novel.

and yes, majority of the fans are men, but to say or even think that “because it started this way, it needs to remain this way (i.e. catering predominantly to male fans at the expense of good story telling or good characterization)” is incredibly narrow-minded and sad but also goes against some of the best story telling we’ve seen from the Fate series.

Shirou is no longer limited to the character insert for a male player. He’s now a complex character with his own backstory, wants and needs. And yes, his wants and needs are shaped by his acts of implied selflessness, born from survivors guilt, and being saved and raised by a man he basically to be considered to be an untouchable hero (but as we know now, was not only his own deeply flawed character, but part of the reason Shirou suffers so badly now, even after he rescued Shiro and brought him in). He’s a character whose ideals will change depending on who he decides matters the most.

... Don’t get me wrong, he’s still an idiot at the beginning of it all, but knowing how and why he’s that way now, I honestly can’t stay mad at the poor boy. I just want to bundle him up and give him some hot cocoa. Archer too.

Arturia is no longer limited to being “cute genderbend Arthur”. She’s a character who was shaped by her experiences of having to grow up feeling like she constantly had to prove herself, of hiding who she was, both because she had to hide her gender, but also because she was a king, who carried so much weight and responsibility under her and ultimately had to deal with betrayal by people close to her.

Rin is not just a tsundere. She’s a woman who was also shaped by the last Grail War, who is forced to pay the price for the hubris and mistakes of her parents and other adults. She is a woman who has to grow up mostly alone, in a culture of magi that value bloodlines and wealth and rules and a lot of her personality can be summed up by her trying to keep her head above water. An attitude of “Fake it till’ you make it”, basically.

Sakura is not just the “sweet baby sister of a friend”. Sakura is... I don’t even know HOW to describe her in a way the encompasses how much I love her and how happy I am she’s finally getting her ‘route’ in an animation. She’s a daughter cast off because of how magi culture works, abandoned and later abused by the very people who should’ve been protecting her.

All of these characters have... evolved. The framework for who they are now was there in the damn original eroge game, sure, but it sure as shit wasn’t getting polished under that framework. Maybe because polishing the characters personalities wasn’t the focus of those games.

Someone looked at F/SN and said “hey, there’s actually a really good story that could be told here”.

Hence how and why we even ended up with a “clean” version of the VN and the later, an anime (both of which still didn’t do an overly great job in telling the potential story that was there, but maybe that’s just me).

Fate/Zero was a surprise and drew in a lot of new and different fans (ironically not myself, I’ve been here since the 2006 anime). And the kicker is, there’s like 0% fan service (if you don’t count that like... one scene of naked Gil at the end and some... questionable relationships). There was also no “main male character” for fans to just insert themselves into, each character was given time and energy into telling their own stories and sharing their own ideologies. All of them are their own unique person (except Assassin I guess, but... well you know).

Kiritsugu is (arguably?) the main male character, but he’s definitely not meant to be a stand in character for a male fan or viewer. As a result, Fate/Zero had to rely on the characters themselves, the lore of the Fate Universe and the story it was telling.

This, at least in my opinion, put down a new ground work for future Fate works and it’s evident in UBW and Heaven’s Feel.

UBW isn’t telling the story of how Shirou gets to fuck Rin or whatever, it’s a story of him fighting... essentially, himself, and his ideals and confronting a trauma that he buried very deeply inside of him. On Rin’s part, she’s confronting ideals she’s had since childhood too, also ingrained into her by the trauma of the last Holy Grail War but also the grim realities set in by Magus society and her father. She’s ... learning to let people in again, to be vulnerable, and to have others there beside her or even saving her.

Yes, these are all elements in the original VN... but like I said before, they weren’t necessarily being told in the best way. We had to have this story be told to us a few times by different people in different ways before it started to really shine.

all these other characters that TM/Nasu have created also have the ability to show different facets and shades of themselves, as do the stories they create for those characters, to evolve or be polished into something greater then what they originally started out as.

We’ve seen that ESPECIALLY with Gilgamesh because he was a villain in the original VN and his character has to HAD to change and adapt depending on the new role he has to take up.

It’s beautiful and fascinating with so much potential.

So yeah, I get angry when I feel they’re trying too hard to appeal to male fans. or “to make it like the origin material”. Sieg and HAKUNO were, by no means, the only problems that Apocrypha and Last Encore had, but they sure as shit did not help.

#fate stay night #mod blogs #salt mines #meta #shirou emiya #rin tohsaka #sakura matou #saber arturia #arturia pendragon #fate ubw #fate heavens feel #gudao gets his own post later because I just watched all the current FGO anime and ... I'm confused

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laresearchette · 4 years

Text

Sunday, August 30, 2020 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: 2020 MTV VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS PRE-SHOW (MTV Canada) 6:30pm 2020 MTV VMAs (CTV2/Much/MTV Canada/E! Canada) 8:00pm LOVE FRAUD (Crave) 9:00pm VOICES MAGNIFIED: POLICING IN AMERICA (A&E Canada) 9:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT RENOVATION, INC. (TBD - HGTV Canada) TOP GEAR (TBD - BBC Canada) SECRETS IN THE WOODS (TBD - Lifetime Canada)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME/CRAVE/NETFLIX CANADA/CBC GEM:

CBC GEM CORONATION ST. SCANDALS (Special): For nearly 60 years, Coronation Street has reflected society's changing attitudes, and has never been afraid to tackle taboo subjects.

HOW TO GET MORE SLEEP (Documentary): Like virtually every other animal, humans need sleep to survive. But why? What do we gain from spending nearly a third of our lives in such a defenseless state? And what’s at stake if we sleep poorly? The functions of sleep have long been something of a mystery. But now scientists are peering deep into the brain to see what happens while we snooze.

PANDEMIC ELEMENTARY (Documentary): After the closure of schools across the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one family looks to close out the school year with a bang.

REBEL (Documentary): To Alex, a naive six years old boy, the mysterious patrols his father leads with his right-wing militia are just more occasions to go play hide and seek out in the woods.

WHO FARTED? (Documentary): Featuring an intercontinental cast of best-selling authors, climate scientists, and master flatualists, Who Farted? suggests that understanding our place in nature is essential to our existence.

CRAVE TV LOVE FRAUD

KOREAN BASEBALL (TSN2) 10:00am: Doosan Bears vs. LG Twins

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN/TSN4/TSN5) 1:00pm: Celtics vs. Raptors - Game 1 (TSN) 3:30pm: Clippers vs. Mavericks - Game 6 (TSN/TSN4) 8:30pm: Nuggets vs. Jazz - Game 6

ELENA OF AVALOR: CORONATION DAY (Disney Junior Canada) 1:40pm: As plans for Elena's coronation get underway, Esteban's team of villains unleashes the Four Shades of Awesome; Elena must journey to the Spirit World and back and face the ultimate test of her courage and character before becoming queen.

MLB BASEBALL (SN1) 3:00pm: Orioles vs. Jays (SN1) 4:00pm: Rockies vs. Dodgers (TSN2) 4:00pm: Mets vs. Yankees (TSN3/TSN5) 7:00pm: Atlanta vs. Phillies

NHL HOCKEY (SN1/SN360) 6:00pm: Avalanche vs. Stars (CBC/SN) 8:00pm: Flyers vs. Islanders - Game 4 (CBC/SN) 10:30pm: Knights vs. Canucks - Game 4

MARY’S KITCHEN CRUSH (CTV) 7:00pm: Mary is her own guest of honor when she creates a delicious salmon dish to enjoy on her own for the night.

STRANGER AMONG US (Investigation Discovery) 8:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Three respected members of a tight-knit community of award-winning Christmas tree farmers are brutally gunned down; terrified locals fear that a cold-blooded killer has been living among them for years.

AN UNEXPECTED KILLER (T&E) 9:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): While investigating the murder of a devoutly religious couple, police uncover dark family secrets, leading them to a shocking suspect.

WYNONNA EARP (CTV Sci-Fi) 10:00pm: The gang races to save one of its own but are hindered by unseen forces.

KILLER AFFAIR (T&E) 10:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): When police investigate the murder of a Private Investigator the trail leads them to a wealthy woman who had affairs with both a father and his son.

#cdntv #cancon #canadian tv #canadian tv listings #mary's kitchen crush #wynonna earp #nba basketball #mlb baseball #nhl hockey

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spearpointtranslations · 6 years

Text

NieYao System Transmigration longfic idea

I’m not going to write this fic any time soon but I wanted to share it anyway. It’s an excuse for me to meta and explore tropes.

After Nie Mingjue dies he gets attached to a System who says he can earn the ability to reincarnate if he wins The Game, which is reaching the ending of the novel he has transmigrated into.

The novel is a 霸道总裁 Bàdào zǒngcái novel which is a Chinese webnovel genre typically about about a overbearing, wealthy man of high social status (CEO) falling for a meek, working-class woman. Often times they can also be a boss and employee. The typical comparative western example of this genre is the novel Fifty Shades of Grey. (yeah...)

So NMJ transmigrates to a modern setting of such a novel with all of his memories intact but he’s chained to a System that enforces IC behavior while punishing for OOC. He works hard because he wants to reincarnate and not have his soul scatter. As he's the male protagonist of such a novel he is the Tyrannical Chairman (BDZC), and it’s not too difficult for him to gain points and avoid punishment when the System assigns him tasks. But he still has his memories so he keeps on wishing he was a 拔刀总裁 Bá dāo zǒngcái instead. (has anyone missed my crappy puns???)

THIS IS LONG SO READ MORE UNDER THE CUT

NMJ asks the System questions and thankfully discovers that the novel’s couple type is “mutually inexperienced”, which means the author has things set up so that the male protagonist and his love interest are both virgins and will only have sex with each other. (I don’t know if there’s an exact name for this but MTXT’s couples tend to be this sort lol and I want to gently make fun of it). At least Nie Mingjue doesn’t have to worry about the system pushing him to sleep with random women, but it’s worrying what will happen when he meets the female love interest so he dreads the day he will finally meet her.

One day NMJ is choosing to hire an assistant based on their skills and achievements and didn’t want to be swayed because of their name(whose family they come from) nor because of good looks. So he looks at resumes and doesn’t know a candidate’s name, appearance or even gender.

Of course the person NMJ ends up calling in to personally interview is transmigrated Jin Guangyao, who also has his memories and is working hard to earn a reincarnation.

NMJ immediately tries to make an attempt at JGY’s life but the System stops him.

Host, it is too early to choke him, please earn more Intimacy Points first!

From the information given by the System, NMJ had assumed the novel is an average Bàdào zǒngcái novel, aka straight, but actually...it’s a BL/danmei Bàdào zǒngcái novel...

NMJ’s System assigned task is to send JGY out of his office because according to the male protagonist’s personality, JGY is unacceptable because of his family name, because the Jins are still powerful in this novel and his spectacular resume may be a result of having access to powerful connections. NMJ wholeheartedly tries to kick JGY out.

However, JGY’s System task is to stay in the office and get his chance because his family name doesn’t mean he grew up in that power and had access to it. He didn’t and doesn’t and even now he's struggling though technically he is “in”.

JGY wins this round because NMJ’s System task changes in reaction to JGY successfully giving a convincing argument as to why he should be given a chance to prove himself.

NMJ is angry the System didn’t tell him the novel is a BL novel. He asks other questions and discovers that not only is the novel BL, the character NMJ has to play is a Tyrannical Chairman with Yandere tendencies, and they wake up with the arrival of the male lead (JGY).

JGY and NMJ are both aware they each have retained their memories and are working toward winning The Game so they can be allowed to reincarnate. It can be considered OOC if they openly discuss their past lives but they get around this by making it some kind of weird phone sex rp where they ~pretend to be cultivators~. They hate each other but also want to reincarnate and not have their souls to scatter so they put aside their grudges in order to work together toward reincarnation and moving on.

NMJ hates being assigned yandere tendencies while JGY hates being assigned stereotypical shou/uke attributes. Any time they try to shift power the Systems cry out in alarm and threaten punishments. Each struggle against the limits imposed upon them.

NMJ swears, why the fuck would people want to read about a yandere lover???

The System informs him that compared to the regular world which has unfaithful cheaters, readers enjoy the loyal dedication of a yandere. Furthermore, intensity and obsession are entertaining and the aspect of danger is exciting too.

Every time NMJ tries to ask JGY for his opinion the System’s alarms go off.

Host, that is OOC, you have to give orders, not ask for opinions.

The System tries to give NMJ tips so he can earn more points.

Host, you must demand obedience, restrict his freedom, and meddle in his private affairs.

JGY and NMJ work together to form scenarios that will net points/advance the plot toward the ending of the novel, so they will be free to reincarnate. However, they also both understand that reaching it means they will be sleeping together, which is typically how such novels end.

The System asks if Nie Mingjue wants a “cliched drunk or drugged so there is no blame when the protagonists have sex for the first time” scenario. NMJ declines.

Authors can be prudish about sex, because of societal pressures that it’s wrong for woman to like or have sex, to express sexuality. However, if it happens because of drugs, especially if administered by a villain character, narratively, a couple can avoid blame because of the reduced agency. The author can mentally accept adding sex to the novel in this way, and will feel less guilty, and so will readers.

NMJ also curses at why people would like this romance novel with huge power imbalances. Essentially what the Yandere Tyrannical Chairman’s sentiments are is Let me dominate you and I’ll give you everything/Obey and love me alone, and I’ll be your servant. The System says it is a fantasy, not having choice or freedom means not having to be responsible, and stressed because of it, it’s nice to imagine being swept away by some noble rich man, who decides all and provides all.

Why I decided it would be a good idea to chain NMJ’s soul to the System of a Bàdào zǒngcái novel, I blame on the name of NMJ’s saber, and his fking canonically overbearing personality.

#mdzs #nieyao #nie mingjue #jin guangyao #spearpoint scribbles

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dovechim · 6 years

Text

you’re my kryptonite (m)

➾ 17.3k

➾ superhero! hoseok (please listen to anpanman before/during reading💓)

➾ warnings: mentions of outrage of modesty (minor), public sex, unprotected sex, slight degradation, cum, breathplay, temperature play, dangerous rooftop sex (pls don’t do this), mentions of death, torture

➾ summary: Superheroes are immortal, they are everything we are not. The Krypton are a race of superhumans sent down to Earth to protect humans, and they are the epitome of nobility and protection. You have always believed in their immortal, God-like powers, revered and admired them your entire life. Your wish for your very own superhero is granted when you meet Jung Hoseok, a Krypton with the most unique, powerful abilities you’ve ever seen.

But when a couple of Krypton go rogue, and your faith in the superheroes you’d believed in all your life is shaken and uprooted, you realise that sometimes, you have to be your own hero instead.

ps: thank you so much to my fave hoseok hoes, @readyplayerhobi , @94hixtape and @wonhopes for listening to me rant about this fic <3 u guys are my heroes!!! 💜 and ofc, thank you to my lovely followers who sent in suggestions and gave me the Nasty Fuel i needed!

In the past month alone, the crime rate has risen by 250%. How can you protect your family? Want a peace of mind whenever you go out? Look no further, for we have your solution right here!

“Are you at it again?” Somin calls from the kitchen, but you ignore her as you continue to stare dreamily at the television set.

Millions of years ago, The Kryptons landed on our planet, sent to protect the human race with their God like powers. Now, we can’t imagine life without them- and why should we? We believe The Kryptons were sent to help us to live our best lives. One Krypton to every human. Just as nature intended. Call us to get yourself your very own superhero guardian angel now!

“Daydreaming about something you can’t afford? Why don’t you take a 12 month instalment instead?”

“Superheroes are not an electrical appliance,” you retort weakly even as the ad features barely clothed men in loin cloths, muscles bulging as they escort petite young women home under the cover of night. “Anyway, this ad is totally misrepresenting them. Not all superheroes are ripped like that.”

“Please,” Somin says as she fumbles through her morning coffee. “Who wants a skinny superhero anyway? Aren’t superheroes only good for their physique? How else are they better than us otherwise?”

“Not all…” your voice doesn’t travel all the way to the kitchen, because you’ve long ago given up on trying to convince Somin to let herself be assigned a Krypton. She belongs to the rare group of people who still remain sceptical of the superhumans that have integrated themselves with the human race ever since they landed on Earth all those years ago. Why sign up for an additional burden when she’s survived all 23 years of her life alone?

Somin strolls in with her nose still in her mug, taking a seat next to you as she switches the channel.

“This just in: a group of assassinators have infiltrated the Pyramid House, making attempts on the President’s life.” The newscaster on television is currently standing in front of a once regal building, now reduced to scraps of concrete and crumbling pillars. “Thankfully, the President’s dedicated team of Krypton bodyguards managed to whisk him away to safety.”

The footage on television cuts to a scene of carnage within the President’s quarters itself, the interior completely decimated and unrecognisable. You’ve never seen destruction on such a large scale before. As the newscaster begins to detail the approximate body count, you reach to switch the channel.

“Hey, I was watching that!” Somin says as she attempts to wrestle the remote from you.

“Why depress yourself further? Life is already hard enough… what is the world coming to these days,” you mutter to yourself, but Somin is almost freakishly strong as she manages to steal the remote from you.

“Damn, look at that, it’s completely destroyed,” Somin’s eyes are glued to the television screen as you stand up, straightening your pencil skirt as you stroll into the kitchen to continue making breakfast. “Look at that carnage. The building is destroyed beyond repair. That kind of damage couldn’t have been done just by guns or machinery alone. The culprits must have been way more than just your random ragtag group of criminals. And who else could have been capable of such large scale destruction? Kryptons, that’s who. Just because they’re Earth’s protectors, doesn’t mean they can’t and won’t go rogue. We give them so much power over us, when the time does come and they decide that us mere humans aren’t worth keeping around-“

Somin stands up, brandishing her empty coffee cup. “They’re the real bad guys!”

“There you go again with your conspiracy theories,” you finish buttering a slice of bread, slapping some egg mayo onto one side before you slice the entire sandwich in half. “You’ve been watching too many movies lately. You know those things only happen in the fantasy realm- here, the real bad guys we have to face are those stack of bills over there.”

“And next up on the morning news, a young woman was recently found dead in an alley by police at approximately 5am this morning,” the newscaster has moved on already. “There were no injuries found on her body, the cause of death is still yet to be determined. This is the second such case in a month, authorities are currently investigating.”

“See! Another mysterious death! I’ll bet it’s another one of those Kryptons-“

Emerging into the living room again, you shove a sandwich into her mouth before she can say anything further. “Are you even listening to yourself? The Krypton are our superheroes! They make up majority of our lawkeeping forces!”

“Which is why it would be easy for them to take over!” Somin argues over the newscaster currently delivering a report on the autopsy of the newest victim.

“And don’t change the subject, it’s your turn with the rent this month, hmm?” You pat her lovingly on the head as she takes a bite and chews reluctantly. Somin pouts at the mention of rent, and switches off the television, getting to her feet and following you to the door.

With her sandwich stuffed in her mouth, she rubs her hands together, giving you puppy eyes as you slide your feet into your heels and get ready to lock the door. “Please, can this just be your month one more time? I promise I’ll pay double next month!”

You don’t reply as you walk toward the lift, peering into your bag to make sure you have all your essentials for the day. Somin hastily follows suit, straightening her blazer and brushing her bangs into place on her forehead as she gets into the same lift as you.

You pinch her cheek between your fingers, “Just do well for your interview today, brat.”

All those news reports are wrong. The real villain in your mundane life is taking public transport during rush hour.

Being confined in a tiny little train cabin, with tons of sweaty bodies pressed up against you is slowly taking a toll on your sanity. But this has been your reality for the past five years of your life. The woman beside you is currently absorbed in watching some drama serial on her phone, tuned out from the real world as she jams her handbag into your ribs unknowingly. Irritated, you try to shift away from her, but you only jostle up into another body next to yours, and you feel a stray hand slide down your side, coming around to briefly cup your ass before it draws away.

Heat singes your cheeks as you flinch automatically, your elbow flailing and knocking the woman’s phone out of her hands. She hisses in displeasure, and you can only apologise hastily to her while attempting to move away from that stray hand as best as you can in the crowded quarters, but the most you can move is only a few inches.

You clutch your bag to your chest, with your heart pounding in your chest as you bite your lip hard. If it’s just a misunderstanding, you don’t want to call attention to yourself and make a fuss out of nothing. You’ve never felt more helpless than you do right in this very moment, rooted to the spot with your voice stuck in your throat. If only you had your very own Krypton to swoop in and save the day, you wouldn’t have to deal with this at all. You’re trying your best to remain as small as possible in the confined space, but a trickle of dread makes its way down your spine as you feel a touch on your waist, making its way down your thigh and towards the hem of your skirt. Your voice feels as if it’s stuck in your throat, palms clammy against the strap of your bag as you struggle to calm your racing heart, to say something, call for help, anything-

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

You’re startled to find that the resulting voice is not yours, and the source of it comes from behind you. The touch withdraws from you abruptly, and you turn to face your saviour, only to find a young man with light brown hair parted in the middle of his forehead, with his hand clasped firmly around your perpetrator’s wrist.

There is a growing commotion as you can only stare at the young man who saved you. Your perpetrator is a middle aged man who is half-heartedly trying to deny the allegations, but with the firm insistence of your saviour and the resulting mob psychology, he is forced into a corner, restrained by a couple of other passengers who continue to interrogate him.

“Miss, are you okay?” His voice jolts you out of your daze, and you tear your gaze away from them toward your brown haired saviour. “Here, sit down for a moment till we get to the next station.”

His gentle hands are on your elbow, guiding you to an empty seat that someone has given up for you. You lift a shaky hand to brush your hair out of your eyes so that you can get a better look at the young man who is peering at you in concern. When you look up into his eyes, you’re stunned to realise that they are the lightest shade of pearlescent pewter, and they are filled with worry when you remain speechless. You are entirely absorbed by his radiant beauty that seems to resonate from his smile alone. There are two little dimples on either side of his chin that further highlight his charming grin, and for some reason, it’s the most adorable thing you’ve ever seen, and you’re completely captivated by this man.

“You must have been shocked, right? Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything, I’ll just need you to follow me to the next station so we can make a report, okay?” He smiles when you nod mutely.

The announcement for the next station prompts him to take your hand and gently tug you up from your seat. His long, dainty fingers are wrapped around yours securely, and he leads you out of the train, with your molester held firm in his other hand, dragging him along with what seems like a surprising show of strength given his lean stature.

When you reach the control station, your saviour maintains a firm, reassuring grip on your hand as he says a few words to the station personnel, as well as the few Kryptons stationed alongside them. Remembering that Kryptons are easily identified by their unusually vibrant eyes, you watch as your perpetrator is interrogated by a sapphire-eyed Krypton- a Clairvoyant- and the officer who comes over to you to take your statement has emerald eyes, so he must be a Mass Manipulator, capable of super strength.

Your voice is still a little shaky and unstable as you give details and recount the entire incident. Your Krypton thanks you with a smile as he finishes your statement, leaving to help his partner finish up his interrogation before they haul the culprit away. A trill ring from your bag distracts you, and as you dig through, looking for your phone, you realise that you’re terribly late for work, and the call is probably from your boss asking where you are.

“You’re probably late to work, right?” The man with the enchanting grey eyes has a voice that is equally as mesmerizing. You press the ignore button on your call hastily

“N-no, it’s alright, I’ll just catch the next train or something,” you give him a forced smile, still unable to believe how utterly beautiful this handsome stranger is. It occurs to you that you haven’t thanked him properly till now, and you curse your own incoherence in the face of such a good looking man. “Thank you so much for your help! I’m sorry to have caused you so much trouble this morning, you must be late to work too?”

You briefly take in his attire of a pair of skinny jeans and a thin white shirt, but he grins and shakes his head. “Oh, I’m alright, but let me call you a cab.”

“N-no, it’s alright, I’ll just take the train,” you start to politely refuse his offer, but he only walks towards the taxi stand nearby, waving a hand to stop a taxi for you. He opens the door for you, gesturing for you to get in, and you bite your lip hard, wondering how to best turn down his offer when you know you can’t afford that $15 ride to the Central Business District where you work.

You sigh internally, deciding that you’ll just have to skip lunch for the next two days as you get into the car. He closes the door for you, and before you can react, he passes a wad of cash to the driver and gives you a little salute. “It’s on me today, miss. Have a lovely day!”

The car starts to move off, but you hastily wind down the window and stick your head out of the car, straining to keep him in your line of sight. “Wait! You never told me your name! How can I repay you?”

But your saviour only waves you off with a charming smile. “I’m Hoseok! And you’re welcome!”

You aren’t too late to work thanks to Hoseok, and when you burst into the meeting room, you realise that your boss hasn’t even arrived yet, and you set up for your presentation in a frenzied state of mind, skin still tingling from Hoseok’s touch, and his grey eyes still haunting your thoughts endlessly.

You’ve never seen anyone with eyes like that, not even a Krypton.

All throughout work, the hot topic of the day is clearly the attempt on the President’s life. With investigations still ongoing, rumours are rampant that the assassins are actually the Kryptons. No mere mortal could have snuck past all those security defences and overpowered the military security force on patrol, and besides, the resultant damages were beyond catastrophic.

Gossip abounds all around you, but they’re nothing more than just fact-less rumours. Besides, you have more important things to do, like stalk every single social media platform you have just to find Hoseok’s profile. Just as you’re mindlessly scrolling through your feed, your boss drops by with an armful of files that she unloads onto your desk, and you barely even have time to breathe amidst all the data entry, calculations and refiling that you have to do.

In addition, she casually remarks over her shoulder that the storeroom could use a good and thorough cleaning before next week, leaving you slumped in your chair as you mentally prepare yourself to clock in another late day tonight.

“Hey, aren’t you getting off work?” Your co-worker, Jimin, is grabbing his coat from the back of his chair, shutting off his workstation.

You glance up from the pile of paperwork on your desk with a tired yawn, rolling your shoulders to regain some semblance of circulation and hearing way too many joints in your body cracking. That can’t be healthy, can it?

“You go ahead, I’m just gonna finish up some stuff here,” you wave him off with a tired smile and continue working on your spreadsheets till you can feel your temples aching. When you glance out the window, the sun has already long ago set, having given way to a light drizzle that is slowly getting heavier and heavier. Somin has already texted you multiple times to ask if you’re getting dinner for the both of you on the way home.

Recalling the earlier news reports about the increasing crime rate has you glancing repeatedly at the clock to keep track of time. If only you had your very own Krypton to escort you home, then you wouldn’t have this uneasy lump in your throat as you clock the ever descending darkness outside. With Somin’s adamant refusal to get assigned, you try to convince yourself that you’ll be fine. But somehow, her logic of ‘I’ve lived my entire life without one of those Kryptons’ doesn’t quite work for you the way it does for her.

You hurry to the storeroom with crossed fingers, hoping that there won’t be much in the storeroom for you to organise, but you know better than that. There are stacks and stacks of cardboard boxes jammed up against the door, making it hard for you to even squeeze your way past it. It takes you nearly 20 minutes before you manage to slip past the crack in the door and flick on the lights in the dusty little room.

You get to work trying to move the top box from the pile, grunting with the effort and your muscles strain as it lands on the floor heavily in an awkward angle, twisting your wrist in the process. You grit your teeth and cradle your arm to your chest for a moment, massaging your wrist tenderly and wincing when pain shoots up your entire limb. The pain makes you collapse onto the dusty floor with tears brimming in your eyes, looking up at the huge stack of boxes still to be unpacked and organised, and desperation wells up in your chest.

You can’t do this. You’re too weak. It’s impossible for a mere mortal like you. If only you had an assigned Krypton…

You don’t know how much time has passed as you sit there in tears, staring at the stacks and stacks of boxes through the tears that clouds your vision. What makes it worse is that everyone would have left work by now, so there’s absolutely no one here who can help you but yourself. The knowledge leaves you paralyzed on the floor, overcome with your own perceived weakness as you continue staring up at the stack of boxes in a daze. But then, the door widens just a crack, and you immediately push yourself to your feet, crying out when you put weight on your injured wrist before hastily wiping the tears from your cheeks. “S-sorry, I was just unpacking in here, it’s just-“

The man that looks down at you has emerald eyes, indicating that he’s a Krypton, and you nearly sag onto the floor in relief.

Finally, you’re saved.

“Do you need help?” He says with a kind smile, offering a hand to help you up.

You vaguely recognise him as Kim Taehyung, an Account Manager who is also your Jimin’s assigned Krypton. Having seen the two of them together on more than one occasion, they have been the subject of many lunch gossips, with some even speculating that there is more than simply a mortal-Krypton relationship between them. While not uncommon, it is literally the stuff of fairytales, and you can only dream of one day being able to fall in love with your very own Krypton just like that.

“Why are you still at work? I thought everyone had left ages ago.”

“Oh, I was just packing up when I heard a noise from the storeroom. Lucky I decided to check it out, hmmm?” His emerald gaze glows as he shifts the stack of boxes away from the door effortlessly. Turning to you, Taehyung gets down on one knee as he inspects your injured wrist before shrugging helplessly. “Sorry, I can’t do anything about this, better call a Healer Krypton. Where’s your assigned Krypton? Shouldn’t he be here instead?”

Biting your lip hard, you just give him a small smile and turn to the boxes on the floor. “I’m okay, really.”

But Taehyung won’t let it go. As a Krypton, his instinct is to protect and serve mortal humans, so he gently takes your hand to stop you from straining your wrist any further. “Hey, I’ll do it. At that rate, you’re going to take forever. Let me help you. You just need these unpacked and in those cupboards right?”

“R-right,” you hold your hand to your chest as you watch him unpack and sort through the giveaways at an inhumane speed. With his super strength, he sends all the brochures and flyers onto one shelf, the thick stacks of magazines onto another shelf, and notebooks onto another.

He crushes the empty cardboard boxes with a single glance so that they’re flat, levitating them through the air as he gestures you toward the door. “Let me call you a cab so you can go to the hospital to take a look at that wrist, if you don’t have a Healer Krypton. I’d ask Yoongi to do it, but he’s already left for the day.”

You turn to look at Taehyung in surprise, “no, it’s okay! You don’t have to go with me. Won’t Jimin be jealous?”

The emerald eyed mutant only raises an eyebrow in confusion. “Jealous? Why would Jiminnie be jealous of me helping you like this? It’s my duty as a Krypton to help all mortals in need, and-“

“No, I meant, aren’t the two of you… you know,” you make a vague gesture with your hands, a blush heating up your cheeks as Taehyung throws his head back in genuine laughter. “At least that’s what I heard.”

Taehyung shrugs easily. “Not that it matters. Our duty is to protect and help you in times of need. He’ll understand.”

You don’t miss the familiar way in which Taehyung refers to Jimin, but instead of commenting on it, you nod thoughtfully as Taehyung walks you back through the quieter sections of the office. “Taehyung… is it possible for a Krypton to… go rogue?”

“What? Never. It’s impossible,” Taehyung answers immediately, shaking his head vehemently. “Where did you hear such a thing? We are, first and foremost, a peace-keeping force on this Earth. It’s what we were brought here to do. We settle everything in a non-violent manner as far as possible. Are you having trouble with your assigned Krypton? Is that why he isn’t here to protect you?”

“No!” You laugh nervously. “Not at all, in fact, I don’t even have an assigned Krypton yet.”

“You should definitely get one as soon as possible,” Taehyung pauses as he hands you your bag, escorting you to the lift. “You’re going to need it. These days, it’s dangerous to go out alone without a Krypton. I don’t know what’s happening to this town lately, but rest assured, with the Krypton around, you don’t have to worry about it at all.”

Taehyung walks you to the taxi stand nearby before he scratches his neck, shifting his weight on his feet as he glances out at the empty road. “Hey, I really don’t want to leave you here, but Jimin’s already waiting for me at home… if I’m late for dinner just one more time, he’ll-“

“Oh I get it, I’m sorry to have inconvenienced you this much already! I’ll be fine,” you wave him away hastily. “Go ahead!”

“Alright,” Taehyung still seems reluctant, his phone chimes in his pocket, distracting him as he pulls it out to check it. “Well… make sure you take a taxi straight to the hospital, alright? See you tomorrow!”

You wait till he’s well out of sight before you start walking to the nearest bus stop instead. Only rich people have the privilege of seeing a Healer Krypton, but for people like you, it’s straight to bed with an ice pack and an ace bandage. When a light drizzle starts up, Taehyung’s suggestion seems even more tempting, but you’ve already taken a taxi to work once, which more than the last five years combined, so taking one home again tonight would feel way too luxurious.

Cursing softly under your breath for leaving your umbrella at home, you hitch up your coat over your head to shield yourself from the rain. But you must have made a wrong turn somewhere along the way, vision obscured by your coat still shielding your head from the incessant rain, because you suddenly find yourself in an unfamiliar alley. Recalling snippets of the news report earlier that morning, you feel a shiver run down your spine as you speed up your walk, phone clutched tightly in your grip and panicked eyes darting around vigilantly.

Hopefully, you can get out of this grimy little alleyway and get your bearings soon enough. The rain makes it even harder to see, and you regret wearing your flimsy little heels, for they slow you down noticeably.

Resounding splashes from behind you make you turn around, realising you’re being followed as you can just about make out the silhouette of a burly figure in the darkness. Your heart speeds up in your chest as you attempt to quicken your footsteps, but you place your heel on a particularly slippery spot, and your ankle gives way.

“Are you alright?” A voice sounds from behind you, and you catch a glimpse of sapphire hued eyes glowing in the dark. Your heart settles in your chest, immediately sagging against the ground in relief. With Kryptons around, no crook would ever dare lay a hand on you.

The voice draws nearer, and as you struggle to get to your feet, there is a throbbing pain in your temples that renders you immobile. The mind numbingly overwhelming migraine leaves you helpless as the stranger’s hands close around your elbows, forcing you to stay down on the ground as the pain only grows stronger.

“Pl-please help me, my head…” you say to the Clairvoyant Krypton as the stranger takes you into his arms and you relax completely, entrusting your life to the superhuman whose entire race was devoted to protecting mere mortals like you.

The Krypton places his hand over your forehead, and as his large palm comes into contact with your skin, the pain only grows stronger, and you struggle in his grasp, breathing growing laboured.

“Shush, little one, it’ll only hurt more if you struggle,” his voice is a raspy baritone, and as you fight to hold on to your consciousness, you keep your eyes glued to the way his doe eyed, sapphire gaze burns into yours. “Just give in, don’t fight me, darling.”

Lulled into a sense of security by the Krypton’s words, your eyes start to droop, muscles relaxing as you sink into his grasp, consciousness slipping away from you as the pain only increases its crescendo in your temples, until-

There is a blast of howling cold wind that buffets both you and the Krypton, and you are tossed aside, the Krypton groaning loudly and losing his grip on you as he registers the impact upon his body. Once his hand loses contact with your forehead, the pain immediately subsides, but you are far too weak to even sit up, so you remain collapsed on your side as you watch another figure slowly descend from mid-air, remaining slightly elevated so that their feet aren’t touching the wet, muddy ground.

The rain abruptly comes to a stop as the sapphire eyed Krypton remains collapsed on the ground, until the figure reaches out to pull him upright until he is on his knees, and then he lets go, leaving the Clairvoyant hunched over, his chin bowed to his chest. Then, with his hand back around the Clairvoyant’s neck, the figure lifts him until his knees no longer touch the ground, and you can see the tendons in his neck bulging, his biceps tightening as he struggles. Briefly, he opens his eyes and they glow a cerulean blue, denoting his attempt to utilise his power of mind control over his opponent, but to no avail as the floating figure only chuckles.

Belatedly, your still foggy mind realises that this must be a showdown between two Kryptons, but what kind of power does that floating figure have? And why would they be fighting each other, when they were creatures of justice who couldn’t even harm a fly?

Your eyes travel up the length of the mysterious, floating figure, partially enshrouded by the cover of the night so you can barely make out any of their defining features. But judging from their stature, it is most definitely a man, if only you could see their face-

The figure’s eyes are glowing, as if illuminated by lightning, making the rest of his features seem inhuman, to the extent of resembling an ethereal, otherworldly being. You can just about make out his straight, slim nose, chiselled jawline and delicate lips, and you are breathless as he slowly lets his feet rest upon the soaked ground. With a wave of his hand, the kneeling Krypton before him is sent flying into the cement wall in an explosion of rubble.

Turning his attention to you, the figure takes a few steps before he kneels. His eyes slowly darken as the illumination fades, and as you struggle to meet his gaze, you gasp as you’re met with the same pewter gray as this morning.

Hoseok.

Amidst your bedraggled, half drenched appearance, you try your best to tame your ruined hair do as you glance up at him, still looking as handsome as ever with rivulets of rainwater streaming down his chiselled jaw. His hair is swept back off his forehead as he places his arm around your shoulders, sliding the other underneath your thighs to scoop you close to his chest.

With the sudden proximity, your breath is snatched right out of your chest, and you struggle for something to say in response. “H-hi, Hoseok, I’m welcome.”

Hoseok only laughs a deep, belly laugh at your attempted Dad joke.

“Wh-who was that? Back in that alley? It was a Clairvoyant, right?” Your teeth are still chattering, and even though you’ve insisted that you’re fine about a million times over, Hoseok refuses to set you down until you’re at your doorstep. He only relents when you tell him you can’t unlock the door from this angle, but once you’re inside, he forces you to put your feet up again. “Why was my head hurting so much? Did he… do something to me?”

Hoseok has his mouth set in a grim line as he wraps a towel around your shivering frame. “He would have, if I didn’t get there in time.”

“Wh-what do you mean? Wasn’t he a Krypton, I thought Kryptons were supposed to protect and help us, and-“

“Not all. Recently, there have been murder and assassination reports that couldn’t have been committed by anything but a Krypton. That level of destruction and power, nothing else could explain it.”

“You sound just like my roommate Somin,” you dismiss his crazy theory with a shake of your head. “I mean, I understand if she’s anti-Krypton, there are people who believe that we can survive fine without them. But I never imagined a Krypton would be against his own race like this.”

Hoseok runs his hands through his hair in frustration, heaving a sigh. “I knew you wouldn’t believe me, and it’s normal. You were brought up your whole life to believe that us Kryptons are nothing but peace-loving, enforcers of justice who can do no wrong. But it’s all propaganda. My people, we aren’t as righteous as everyone makes us out to be.”

He turns to you now, his eyes pleading his desperation. “You don’t have to believe me if you don’t want to. Just please, let me stay by your side.”

With Hoseok this close, you can feel his warm breath against your cheek in gentle puffs that somehow manages to both calm you down and send your heart racing at the same time. He reaches for the towel around your shoulders to pull it over your head, rubbing it against your hair gently to dry it. Hoseok then brings his hands to cup your face, and his warmth feels heavenly against your still cold and clammy skin, and you close your eyes.

You think back to the immense pain that radiated through your temples the moment that Clairvoyant Krypton had his hand over your forehead. Although it had seemed impossible at the time, it makes sense now that his power of mind controller would only be magnified through physical touch, and had he been given just a tad more time, no doubt would he have fried your brains and left you for dead in that cold, dark alley.

Just like those two other victims before you.

“No. I believe you.”

“Just let me be your hero.” Hoseok says softly, his lips are only an inch away from yours. “After knowing what it’s like to save you, I don’t think I could live with the idea of letting anyone else take my place.”

Your eyes drop to his lips, noting how soft they look, and Hoseok brings a hand to cup your cheek gently, stroking the soft flesh with his thumb.

“Alright.”

There’s only one hitch to this whole plan: Somin.

Hoseok manages to sneak out of the house undetected the next morning after having spent the night in your room- sleeping on the floor, of course, on his insistence- and you have it all thought out.

You’re up bright and early to make Somin’s favourite- golden, fluffy and syrupy pancakes that are on the table the moment she stumbles into the kitchen blearily. Upon catching sight of them, she gives you a surprised look, but apparently, her hunger surpasses her suspicion, and she devours half her stack before you gather the courage to even utter a single word.

“S-somin, um, I have something to-“

“Spit it out,” Somin doesn’t even glance up from her plate in the midst of mopping up every single drop of syrup.

You sigh internally. “Listen, so there may be Kryptons going rogue lately-“

“So you believe me! Finally!” She pumps her fist into the air, nearly sending drops of syrup everywhere, and you wince in response, watching her wave her sticky fork around.

“And so,” you continue smoothly, “I thought I’d get us our very own Krypton to protect us!”

All her elation immediately deflates as she stares at you in disbelief. “Really? That’s your brilliant solution? You deduce that Kryptons are going rogue, and then you get another Krypton to protect us? How do you know that this Krypton isn’t a rogue one? Did you develop some magical rogue Krypton detector overnight or something?”

You hold up your hands in defense, “whoa, hold up there with the sarcasm, it’s way too early for this. And how come you’re suddenly acting like you’re the older one here?”

Somin only slumps in her seat, the corners of her mouth turned downward in an unspoken apology. “I’m just trying to keep us safe.”

If you told her about what happened last night with that Clairvoyant Krypton, there’s no doubt she would freak out even more, and then your chances of convincing her to let Hoseok protect the two of you would go down the drain just like that.

“I met this Krypton,” you begin calmly, and just as you anticipated, Somin’s eyes grow wide, but you hurry on before she can say anything. “And he can protect us. If there are rogue Kryptons running around, then our only chances of survival lie with the Krypton who are on the side of the law. Please, Somin. You saw how much damage was done to the Pyramid House. Us humans don’t stand a chance against Kryptons if they were to turn on us like that. You know that. He’s our only hope.”

Somin remains silent for a moment, running the twines of her fork through the puddles of sticky syrup that still remains on her plate. “Alright. But I just have one last question. If you can convince me with your answer, I’ll accept him.”

“Really?” You sit up straight in your seat, nodding intently at her. “What is it?”

“How do you know this Krypton can be trusted? What if he is the rogue one?”

Once more, you think back to the way Hoseok had cradled you in his own arms back in that alley, the flash of rage in his illuminated gaze as he sent the other rogue Krypton crashing into the wall.

“Because he saved my life,” you’re at a loss for words, offering her this simple reasoning as you shrug helplessly. “I’ve never seen another Krypton like him, with the kind of powers he has. I can’t explain it, and it probably sounds phony as hell to you, but he makes me feel safe. Whenever I see him, it’s like I know that no matter what happens, he’ll be there to save the day.”

You don’t expect Somin to believe you, not when you can’t seem to believe the words that are spilling from your tongue yourself. It’s just indescribable, how much Hoseok means to you, and what he has come to mean to you, at this point. Hoseok is nothing like the Krypton you grew up dreaming of- he isn’t insanely jacked with bulging muscles, but he can still carry you to safety when he needs to, and neither does he own a shiny Batmobile, but when it matters the most, he still manages to show up just in time to save you.

He isn’t just any Krypton, he is the Krypton you were always meant to be paired with.

“Alright. He can move in with us, starting tomorrow. Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t know, I guess,” Somin brings her plate to the sink, turning her back to you as she starts scrubbing the dishes.

For a moment, you are left speechless, but then you remember that you left Hoseok out in the cold outside your apartment, waiting for you to let him in once you’ve convinced Somin.

“Um… how about we make that today?”

“So, what is your power exactly?” Somin is currently interrogating a very nervous looking Hoseok as he sits up, ramrod straight, at the counter with his hands folded neatly in his lap. His eyes slide over to you, and you give him a small nod and a reassuring smile.

“My emotions are in tune with the weather, and I can control them that way,” Hoseok starts off nervously. To distract him, you push a plate of pancakes over to him, sliding a fork into his hand. “A-and, um-“

“Oh. So just a weather forecaster? How would that help if we’re faced with a rogue Krypton? A Mass Manipulator, for instance?”

“Somin…” you sigh as you watch her bustle around the kitchen, not even pausing for a moment to make eye contact with Hoseok. “Be nice.”

“I am being nice, I’m just asking what he can do to protect us if the event ever arose,” she crosses her arms defensively. “At this rate, it seems as if we might be better off without him. In fact, we might even have to protect him.”

“Once I touch another Krypton, I gain the ability to use their power as well,” Hoseok says quietly, his fork now set aside. “And it’s permanent, too.”

Both you and Somin are stunned into silence, a new regard for the stormy eyed Krypton sitting at your kitchen counter who is more powerful than you could have ever imagined. You can just barely hear an impressed whistle coming from Somin’s direction as she sizes him up and down as if he were a wrestler due to enter the ring for his next match.

“What powers do you have currently? Who was the last Krypton you touched?”

You and Hoseok exchange a brief glance before he turns to her with a casual shrug. “The weather control ability belongs to me. On top of that, I have Invisibility and Clairvoyance, why?”

“Hmm, well, nothing,” Somin says casually as she stirs some cream into her coffee, taking a careful sip so as not to burn herself. “It’s just, I have a really important interview today, and-“

“Don’t wear your nude heels today, they’ll break just after you get off the bus. And your interviewer, she’ll be in a bad mood because her baby threw a tantrum this morning. Appease her by getting her a coffee. Her favourite is Hazelnut latte.”

Somin looks as if she’s struggling not to look visibly impressed as she heads for the door, slowly sipping on the rest of her coffee. Before she leaves, she gives you and Hoseok one last look.

“Well, it’s not that I believe in such bullshit, or anything, but better safe than sorry, right? I’ll need all the luck I can get for this one!” Somin chooses a pair of dark red heels instead as she gives you a quick kiss on the cheek. “Wish me luck for today’s interview!”

“Good luck!” You shout belatedly after her as she disappears out the door.

“Looks like she’s warming up,” Hoseok comments as he slumps against the kitchen counter in relief. “You didn’t tell me she was so scary!”

“Awww, is my cute little superhero scared?” You reach over to ruffle his hair fondly, a smirk tugging on your lips when he grunts in irritation. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you from the big bad meanie!”

You reach to give his cheek a fond little pinch, but Hoseok catches your wrist just before you can make any contact, and there is something entirely different about his gaze that takes your breath away as he draws you in close to him. His breath is now on your neck, and those tempting lips of his are dangerously close to your skin.

“We’ll see who’s the big bad wolf over here,” his low murmur sends a pleasant shiver down your spine, and his other hand cups the dip of your waist intimately, stroking your delicate curves with a flaming touch that you can feel even through the material of your dress. “If you’re not careful, I’ll eat you right up.”

“Oh?” Not one to back down from such a blatant attempt at flirting, you tilt your head back to expose more of your neck for his viewing pleasure, and you can practically see the desire to mark you with his lips and teeth cross his mind. “Be my guest, then.”

You circle an arm around his neck, teasing the sensitive skin with brushes of your fingertips before you pull yourself upright. “But after work. Bills need to be paid, can’t just sit around and be my pompous superhero self now can I?”

“Pompous? I’m pompous?” Hoseok protests with a yelp as he follows you, placing a well-mannered hand on your arm to support you as you slip on your shoes (navy heels, not maroon, he says. When you frown in worry, asking if they’ll break too, he just shrugs and says that navy matches better. Like you said, pompous.)

“Look, it’s not that I don’t appreciate having my own personal superhero and all,” you press the button for the lift, already feeling your navy heels pinch at your toes. “But do you have to follow me around all day long? Don’t you have a job or something?”

“What do you mean?” Hoseok frowns at you, tilting his head as if he doesn’t understand. “My job is to protect you.”

Rolling your eyes to the heavens, you grip your bag tighter, already envisioning additional late nights to come in the future just so you can feed one more freeloader. And you don’t even have to be a Clairvoyant to visualise this.

“You don’t have to send me to work every day, Hoseok, nothing is gonna happen in broad daylight,” you tell him as you speedwalk to the train station. “Besides, what are you even protecting me from at work? Are you gonna predict my future and tell me that I’ll get a paper cut while I’m reading my morning paper and flipping past the classified ads section?”

“Watch out!” Hoseok holds out a hand to push you to one side of the pavement, both arms encircling your waist to keep you close to his body just as a bicycle whizzes past the both of you, causing your dress to fly up from the breeze created. His arms slide down to your hips to keep your skirt from exposing too much as he glances after the rider that has long ago disappeared from sight. “That guy was going way too fast for a pavement!”

You notice a few women applauding your superhero and sighing dreamily, admiring the way Hoseok has his arms wrapped around you protectively. You’re so caught up in the way his arms feel around you that you don’t realise that Hoseok is nagging at you to be more careful, wondering aloud how you even managed to get this far in your life without being eliminated by natural selection already.

Alright, maybe he isn’t the perfect superhero you always dreamed of.

“I wasn’t even using Clairvoyance back there…” Hoseok mutters under his breath. “And for your information, miss, no one even reads the Classifieds section anymore.”

“Oh stop it already, you’re like an old man,” you roll your eyes even as you scan past the gantry and hurry to the platform to catch your train. Just as you manage to squeeze into the packed train, there is a renewed anxiety in your chest when bodies are pressed up against you, and you are jostled about amongst a crowd of strangers.

Except Hoseok elbows his way into the train too, manoeuvring the both of you into a corner where he cages you in with his body, giving you ample space to breathe easy. You can scent the soothing smell of his cologne from this close, and it’s a welcome change from all the body odour and sweat you have to endure. Faced with his strong chest, you’re tempted to just wrap your arms around his slim waist and feel how firm his pecs are under your cheek.

A few stations down the line, Hoseok nudges you toward a middle aged lady. “Hey, she’s getting off at the next stop. Go stand in front of her and take her seat when she stands up.”

True to his word, she does get off at the next stop, and you secure her seat with Hoseok standing in front of you, holding on tightly to the handgrips so that you can admire the way his slim biceps flex and relax. His casual white shirt rides up just a tad to reveal a hint of his toned lower belly, along with a faint trail of hair that suddenly makes your throat go dry, and the ride to your stop seems a lot longer than usual this morning.

Contrary to what he says, Hoseok does actually have a job that he has to get to. It’s only when you tease him about using his ability to turn himself Invisible and keep a surveillance on you at work that he defensively reveals that he actually runs a dance school.

“Oh,” you pretend to be disappointed. “No peeking under my skirt at my desk then? I was hoping you’d eat me out at least. Always fantasised about a ghost giving me head, and you seem like the closest alternative.”

He sends you a look of mock disgust before giving you a sleazy little wink. “If I wanted to see your panties, I wouldn’t have to sneak about. See you later, baby.”

Your coworkers can’t help but notice how cheerful you are for the rest of the day.

You never thought that letting someone else into your life could be this seamless, but Hoseok’s presence makes you wonder where he’s been all his life. Even Somin has warmed up to him considerably, although maybe it’s because of his timely advice having helped her clinch her dream job that makes her forget about all her previous inhibitions towards him.

Two weeks into her new job, Somin decides that it’s her treat at your favourite Italian restaurant. So you find the two of you seated comfortably and waiting for Hoseok to finish up one of his evening classes before he joins you.

“You’re ready to order, right?” Somin closes the menu in favour of taking a sip of wine. “Just order for your boyfriend too. I heard the food takes at least an hour to arrive, anyway.”

You nearly spit out your own mouthful of wine as Somin casually gets the waiter’s attention with a wave of her arm. “Um, excuse me? Did I miss something?”

“What? Don’t be coy with me, miss. That apartment is like a living hell for me,” Somin fans herself dramatically. “The two of you have so much fucking sexual tension, I feel like I’m the director of your porn shoot sometimes. Oh, I’ll have the truffle cream carbonara, please.”

She casually directs the last part of her sentence at the waiter, who clears his throat as he takes down her order, clearly uncomfortable at being privy to your conversation. You swallow hard as the waiter turns to you, thankful for the dim lighting in this restaurant that hides your reddened cheeks.

“I-I’ll have the squid ink pasta, and one more pesto truffle linguine as well.” You send Somin a sharp glare as you hand over your menu. “Oh, and four servings of garlic bread too, please!”

You wait till the waiter is a safe distance away before you reach over to pinch her arm, hard. “You can’t just say things like these in public! And what does that even mean anyway? Just for that, I’m declaring dessert on you too.”

Somin only shrugs as she rubs her sore arm, rolling her eyes as she downs another gulp of her wine. “Whatever, text your boyfriend already to ask what’s his ETA. There’s nothing I hate more than cold pasta.”

Mumbling a curse under your breath, you reach for your phone to type out a text to Hoseok asking where he is.

You frown at your phone screen, tapping out of the messaging app to open up your call log. “I think he might be lost or something, he says he’s at the-“

Your voice freezes in your throat when you feel something brush against your calves under the table. Immediately, you turn to Somin, but she’s only tilting her wine glass to get the very last dregs, totally oblivious.

The touch travels up your calves to the bend behind your knee, and the slightly calloused fingers caress your skin gently. Your heart is in your throat as you push the tablecloth out of the way to check underneath the table, but nothing is immediately apparent, until you realise that your skirt is folded in a very unnatural way.

And then, in the blink of an eye, you spot a freshly showered Hoseok with his hair still damp, crouched underneath the table with his face between your legs and his hands parting your thighs gently. He sends you a smirk before he disappears, pushing the tablecloth back into place as his touch travels further up your thighs.

“What’s wrong? Did you drop something?” Somin is slightly tipsy now as she attempts to glance over at your lap.

“N-no! Just wanted to make sure my bag was still there, that’s all,” you give her a forced smile, and thankfully she is distracted as she calls the waiter over to order another bottle of wine.

You can feel Hoseok start to suckle wet kisses into your inner thighs now, and his tongue laves at your skin reverently, leaving trails of his kisses behind. You’re beyond thankful that you wore a skirt today of all days, and you can feel the way his breath quickens as his hands travel all the way up to the hem of your underwear and tug them down. Hoseok pulls your underwear right off your feet, leaving you bare as he helps you out of them, one thigh at a time. When he’s done, he spreads you again to his heart’s content, and you can’t imagine how his view must be like down there.

Hoseok is uncaring of how your posture might look like as he forces your legs part with a hand on your inner thigh, continuing to nose his way up till he reaches the apex. In an attempt to preserve your modesty, you tug the tablecloth surreptitiously to cover more of your lap even as he begins to pepper soft kisses onto your lower lips, and you can feel the way that they swell and engorge in response, and your arousal begins to make everything feel so slick down there, to the point where you’re worried you might even stain the chair.

When he deems you ready enough, Hoseok spreads your lips with his two slim fingers, and you can almost smell your arousal immediately. Thankfully, waiter arrives with your orders of garlic bread just at that moment, and the pungent smell of your appetizers helps to cover everything up.

Somin immediately reaches for a slice, stuffing it into her mouth and moaning in delight. “Oh my God. You were right, we should order ten more of these!”

You’re just about to help yourself too, but then Hoseok decides to grace you with a generous lick from your soaked core to your slit, and you have to bite your lip hard to keep from gasping. You can feel his smirk against your inner thighs as he gives kitten licks to your clit, torturing you with every lap of his soft, wet tongue. You can feel the knot in your lower abdomen growing tighter and tighter, in your desperation, you reach for a slice of garlic bread and bite into it harshly just so you can have an excuse to let out that moan you were holding in, just as Hoseok sees it fit to tease your clit with the pointed tip of his tongue.

“It’s that good, right?” Somin is already on her third piece. “If Hoseok doesn’t get here soon, he might not get to taste any of this heaven…”

Your thighs are trembling as Hoseok laps at your core in response, and you know exactly what he means. “O-oh, I t-think he already knows how good it tastes.”

“You mean he’s been here before?” She takes a swig of her wine to chase down her fourth slice. “And didn’t think to invite us?”

Hoseok’s licks are getting more and more daring, and you feel as if he’s delighting in making you as messy as possible. Every lick of his warm, wet tongue sends electric shocks down your spine, and you are practically sitting ramrod straight in your seat, biting your lower lip hard in order to remain quiet. Your thigh muscles are aching as Hoseok holds them apart firmly so he can bury his face in your cunt, and you don’t want to imagine how you must be dripping all over his face by now.

Just as Hoseok takes a hand off your thigh and you think you can relax, he slides something icy cold into you, and you jerk straight off your seat in response, reaching for your wine glass to cover up hastily.

Somin gives you a strange look. “Are you okay? Do you need the bathroom or something?”

“Um, no, just thought I saw Hoseok coming in for a second there,” you mumble into your wine glass, and the cheeky little bastard has the gall to chuckle against your inner thigh, and you can feel the vibration travel straight to your clit. You’re trying to figure out exactly what he’s fucking you with, and when he begins to grind his palm against your clit, you realise that he has one of his fingers inside you now, but how is it ice cold? Unless-

That bastard can manipulate temperature along with the weather too.

You can’t believe this. You’re unbelievably aroused right in the middle of an Italian restaurant, sitting opposite your roommate, with Hoseok eating you out like you’re the finest dish on the menu here. He must have taken your fantasy of getting eaten out by someone under the table to heart, and now you’re beginning to wish that you’d never told him about this in the first place.

You have gradually acclimatised the temperature of his icy fingers, so as Hoseok adds one more, he focuses directly on your clit, laving it with the flat of his tongue as he thrusts into you, curling his fingers to seek out your sweet spot. You surreptitiously reach a hand down to where you think his head might be, and true enough, you are met with silky strands of hair, and you give it a firm tug in response to his incessant licks and suckles.

Your grip tightens on your glass, to the point that you’re afraid that it might even shatter as Hoseok brings you closer and closer to the edge. All it takes is a particularly firm suck, one that you can hear even over the particles of conversation around you and the gentle music throughout the entire restaurant. Your walls close around his fingers, the pleasure ebbing and flowing throughout your entire body as you tense every muscle in your body to keep yourself quiet.

Hoseok is licking up every drop of your release, and you can feel him slurping everything up as he cleans you thoroughly. With a final kiss on your inner thigh, he draws away, and you wonder how he’s going to show up at the table with his face all covered in your juices, and then-

“Sorry I’m late,” a voice comes from behind you, and Somin straightens in her seat.

“Finally! We already ordered for you, and sorry to say, but the garlic bread is pretty much all gone,” she gestures to the empty baskets on the table. “And ugh, you’re all gross from your class, couldn’t you have at least showered first?”

Hoseok says nothing as he slides into his seat, wiping his chin with the back of his hand as he sends you a smirk that makes your core throb again, aching for his tongue, even though you only just came. “No problem. I heard the best dish in this restaurant isn’t for sale, anyway.”

From now on, every time you feel the slightest touch against your legs, even when you’re working at your desk, a shiver of arousal shoots up your spine, and you fully blame Hoseok for it. He’d sent you off to work that morning with a satisfied smile on his face, resembling the cat who’d just caught the canary as he took in your attire of slacks rather than your usual pencil skirts.

But you have no time to submerge yourself in daydreams and fantasies about him and his skilful tongue, because your workday is more than a little busy. There is a new joiner to your team today, and your boss has instructed you to show him the ropes.

The new joiner in question is Jeon Jeongguk, a fresh grad straight out of college, and a Krypton to boot. He is a Clairvoyant with the most stunning cerulean eyes, and a doe eyed, innocent look that you feel as if you’ve seen somewhere before. His young, boyish good looks have attracted the attention of all the women you walk past while giving him the company tour, and on your own part, despite yourself, you can’t help but wonder if he already has an assigned mortal.

It doesn’t help that he is extremely flirty and touchy, finding excuses to place his hands on your arm, shoulder, and even the small of your back on the pretence of helping you up the stairs. Even if you started the workday all tired out and just wanting to snuggle in bed with Hoseok’s arms around you, just spending a few minutes around Jeon Jeongguk has you feeling like you’re on top of the world again, especially whenever he touches you.

But there is a small niggling feeling at the back of your mind, even though a part of you is tempted to just enjoy this handsome man’s attention. All around you, women are cooing over how handsome he is, and you can see that Jeongguk is enjoying their gazes of admiration too, sending them little winks and smirks. Any of them would be fighting for your place to be mentoring such a handsome young man as him, a Krypton no less, and here you are, being ungrateful, no less.

Feeling a little conflicted, you give him an inane task of sorting out the post-its by colour while you return to your desk, just so you can regather your scattered thoughts without him constantly giving you his innocent little grin and feeling his eyes roam around your body. A part of you can’t believe how incredibly fit he is, with his dress pants tight against his upper thighs, and the contrast of his narrow waist makes his body proportions ungodly. Without him at your side, you can think a little clearer now; why should a Clairvoyant Krypton even need to be so jacked when their power doesn’t even manifest physically?

Ridiculous.

In the period while you’d been away from your desk, someone had dropped a post-it on your keyboard.

Meet me at the rooftop.

-your anpanman

But… Hoseok? How could he be here? And more importantly, why?

Just as you push your chair back, Jeongguk bounds over from the storeroom to proudly announce that he’s finished with all the post-its, so did you have anything else in mind for him, or could the two of you go grab a coffee together?

He pushes himself into your personal space unabashedly, his bright doe eyes glowing a mesmerizing cerulean as he flashes you his charming little smile. You have a hard time pushing away from him, reminding yourself that you need to meet Hoseok up at the rooftop as you randomly tell him to go organise the calendars now, watching his face fall as you make your escape.

You’ve never been up to the rooftop before, and you’re wondering how Hoseok even knows about this place, having never visited your workplace, at least not officially. It’s fairly windy up top, and in the distance, you can see dark clouds beginning to gather, sure signs of a storm approaching. You wonder if it’s that good of an idea to be this exposed when there is a risk of lightning strikes, but then you catch a figure standing by the railings.

“Hoseok? What are you doing here?” You struggle against the increasingly strong wind as you make your way to him, sliding your arms around his waist as he turns around.

“I had to, of course, because someone was being naughty little slut, flirting with the intern,” the frown between Hoseok’s brows deepens, and you can see that his lips are set in a firm line, a sure sign that he’s pissed off for real now.

And then suddenly, the approaching dark clouds make sense.

“Wh-what do you mean? I was just trying to show him around, and I-“ You let your hands drop from his waist slowly.

A low rumble of thunder cuts you off. Hoseok’s eyes are glowing dimly, giving him an ethereal look as the wind sweeps his hair off his forehead. “Is that why you let him touch you all over?”

Hoseok slides his arm around your waist, hand dipping dangerously low as he brushes the top of your ass. “Let him touch you here, too?”

It’s not only the air that is extra super charged with electricity, you feel it in every single nerve of your body as Hoseok lets his hand envelope your ass cheek fully, groping it hard and to his heart’s content. Letting him touch you like this in such a public place sends a thrill through your veins, even as you glance around in desperation.

“No! I’m yours alone, I promise!” You pant against his chest as Hoseok lowers that sinful mouth of his to tongue at your exposed collarbone. “H-hoseok, not here, can we finish this at home?”

“Too bad I don’t listen to naughty little sluts who’ve been bad,” Hoseok releases his grip on your ass, letting his hands play with the little zipper on the front of your slacks. “Let me tell you what I do with desperate little sluts like you. I’ll fuck you so good that you’ll be sobbing and crying on this rooftop here, and everyone will know that you’re getting fucked by me. Then I’ll leave you dripping with cum, in case that little intern decides to get in your pants, he’ll find a little surprise in your dirty little cunt.”

Hoseok strokes your cheek gently even as he flicks open the button on your pants. “And too bad you wore slacks today, hmm? Looks like we won’t be done any time soon, babydoll. Bend over that railing for me, sweetheart.”

With trembling steps, you can only do as he says, and Hoseok pushes your pants down just enough to reveal your bare ass. You can hear him swear under his breath as he realises that you’ve gone commando today, and he swats your cheek with a sharp spank that makes you cry out in a needy little whine. From up here, it’s a long way down, and as Hoseok pushes between your shoulder blades, your weight is solely balanced on your midriff, leaving you completely at his mercy as he continues to spank you hard.

“What- do sluts- say- when- they’re- getting- spanked?” Hoseok punctuates every word with a sharp slap to your behind, alternating both cheeks as he watches your flesh bear his handprints, blooming a pretty pink that he ingrains in his memory for later times.

“Th-thank you, I want more, till I can’t sit down, please,” you can feel the blood rushing to your head as Hoseok tilts you nearly upside down, his firm grip on your waist keeping you in place. The wind slices against your cheeks, and the adrenaline pumping through your veins only serves to heighten your arousal as Hoseok slides two fingers through your puffy lower lips, only to draw away with them coated in your sticky wetness. As he circles your clit, there is a jolt of electricity from his fingertips that makes you sob his name shamelessly, feeling him chuckle against your back as he repeats the motion.

“That’s my good girl,” he murmurs, a low baritone that is accompanied by a roll of thunder that serves to underscore his dominance over you as he soothes your reddened skin with his palm, rubbing gently to calm you down. “So nice and wet for me, I think you’re ready to be fucked, hmmm?”

“P-please, baby please fuck me,” you whimper as he spreads your lips apart, admiring the strings of your sticky arousal that stretch from his fingers.

“Come down from there first, sweetheart,” Hoseok helps you down gently, his hands warm and steady around your waist as he sets you down on your feet. “That’s it, now down on your knees, wanna see your pretty lips around my cock.”

You oblige immediately, sinking down to your knees as you reach for his zipper, palming his bulge generously and giving it a little squeeze that elicits a strangled moan from him. When you reach into his underwear to wrap your hand around him, he is already dripping with precum, and you hold your tongue out to watch the drops land with a morbid fascination. The purple head of him is drooling with precum non-stop, a testament to how unbelievably turned on he is as he fists his hand in your hair.

Laving the tip of him with your tongue, his salty flavour explodes on your tastebuds, but you’re not given long to savour the taste of him because he pushes you down, forcing his length into your throat as you gag messily. Spit and precum are trailing down your chin, some of it getting caught on his balls as he rolls them roughly in his palm, thrusting into your mouth with a hot groan.

“Shit, that mouth of yours, so fucking good,” he pants, pushing into your mouth further. “Take all of it, choke on my cock like a good little slut. Gonna fuck your mouth cunt so good.”

You are gurgling around his cock, tears in your eyes as you relish the precum pouring down your throat. Hoseok pushes you down to his base, holding you there for a few torturously long seconds before he pulls away to admire the strings of saliva and precum that connect his aching hard cock to your lips.

“So pretty for me,” he coos, running a thumb to clean up some of the mess on your chin and popping it into his mouth. “Come here.”

Hoseok props his ass on the railings, stroking his dick a few times as he spreads his legs. His lap is inviting, cock twitching, as if beckoning you to perch yourself upon it and ride him till kingdom come, but your fear of heights makes you hesitate. The claps of thunder and flashes of lightning only serve to accentuate exposed you are, and when you make contact with him, his skin is alive with electric currents that deliver a pleasant shockwave to every single nerve of yours, especially when he concentrates his fingertips on your abused clit. Every stroke feels like a mini orgasm, and your thighs are trembling as he takes in how sensitive and reactive you are.

“You trust me, right?” Hoseok strokes your hip, pulling you in between his legs. “I won’t let you fall, sweetheart. Get on my dick.”

With his help, you straddle his lap, fully aware of how precarious your position is. When the tip of him brushes against your folds, you grab his shoulders and sink down on him fully, completely forgetting that you’re on the edge of a rooftop, getting fucked on top of a 50 storey building. You take him down to the root, relishing his breathless groan when you squeeze tight around his cock.

Hoseok’s hands are on your waist, holding you firmly to his base as he abruptly spins around so that your body remains suspended in mid-air. The spike of adrenaline and fear makes you clench around him, and he gives a few practice thrusts before he really starts pounding into you, every smash of his hipbones against your pelvis absolutely divine.

“You like fucking out here, where anyone could see us? You better keep it down unless you want the whole office to see what a slut you are. Or I bet you’d like any of those pedestrians to look up and see my cock in your dirty little pussy hmm?” The roars of thunder are getting louder, and with every flash of lightning, Hoseok’s features are lit up in a show of his dominance, and a hint of anger as well, accentuating the animalistic lust that resides in his gaze as he continues to ravage you. “Watch me take your pussy over and over till I fucking tear you in half, princess.”

You glance down to witness his cock spearing you open, and then Hoseok takes one hand off your waist to fondle your clit, and you jerk in response, half in arousal, half in fear. But Hoseok only smirks and lets his other hand drift down to your inner thigh, and now you are completely unsupported by anything other than his control of the wind currents alone. Your head tilts back, exposing the column of your neck to him as you feel the wind assaulting you from every angle, combined with his harsh thrusts, you are coming around him with a desperate sob, drenching him in a shower of your arousal.

“Well, fuck, looks like it just started pouring,” Hoseok is wiping the back of his chin with his hand, his white shirt completely soaked by you. But his thrusts don’t let up as he continues to chase his pleasure, heavy balls slapping against your clit.

“H-hoseok, I can’t, fuck, it’s too much, please,” you reach out to push against his firm lower abdomen, breasts heaving and nipples all sore and peaked from the wind’s assault on them. They are like an extension of his nimble fingers as you feel your nipples being pinched and rolled, the sensation shooting straight down to your clit. It’s as if Hoseok and nature have become one, intent on stimulating every single erogenous point on your body, and it’s too much all at once.

Hoseok drives his cock deep into you, feeling the entrance of your womb with his cock as he savours the way your tummy bulges with his intrusion. “Just one more, you can do one more for me, can’t you? My good girl.”

You are spineless, completely at his mercy as his fluid hips continue to rock into you. Glancing up, you catch a glimpse of his windblown hair, eyes alight with the luminous glow of lightning itself, sweat and your cum drenching his upper torso as his abs flex with every thrust. His fingertips are ice cold as he circles your clit, and you don’t know if it’s just your lust induced haze, but his dick is warming up with every thrust as he bottoms out against your cervix.

The knot in your belly is growing tighter and tighter, and your muscles are spasming with the overload of electric current from his touch alone. You are whimpering and pleading for him, caught up in the throes of ecstasy that threaten to overwhelm you and drag you under, but then you notice the door leading to the rooftop open.

“______? Are you here?” Jeon Jeongguk is struggling against the suddenly ferocious wind that buffets him from all angles, seemingly immobilised even as he tries to take a step forward. He has his eyes shielded as he glances around the rooftop of the building, first from one end, and then to the other- at this rate, he’ll definitely catch you with Hoseok’s dick still buried deep in your pussy, hanging off the ledge of the rooftop-

“Eyes on me, babygirl,” Hoseok gets your attention back on him with a sharp slap to your clit, and you cry out in equal parts pain and arousal.

Your shout has attracted Jeongguk’s attention, but you’re too far gone to care, especially as Hoseok begins fucking you with a renewed enthusiasm, intent on reaching his high this time as he imprints bruises into your hips. Your cunt is all swollen and aching, walls tightening around his cock as Hoseok sends you over the edge. Your lungs are burning, but as you gasp for air, there is a foreign sensation pressing on either side of your throat, restricting your air flow and heightening your pleasure as your nerves are rubbed raw and pink by his pretty cock pounding your cunt.

“Shit, gonna fill your sweet pussy up so good,” Hoseok grunts as he drives into you. His cock is twitching, growing almost unbearably hot as he releases, spurts of cum drowning your womb till you are overflowing with him. The restriction around your throat eases, and your airflow is regulated once more as you squeeze and contract around him, encouraging him to spill every last drop in his balls. He continues to fuck his cum into you with deep thrusts, watching it bubble up around his length and leak down your thighs, dripping onto the railing beneath him.

When he pulls out gently, arms back around your waist to cradle you to the safety of his warm body, you can still feel your cunt pulsing, pushing out rivulets of his cum as it streams freely down your thighs.

“Your pink pussy looks so creamy and pretty,” Hoseok gives you a brief kiss on your cheek as he runs his fingers through the mess between your legs before he pulls your slacks up. “Gonna smell like me all day now.”

The thunder has softened into a distant rumble, dark clouds clearing and a hint of the sun peeking out from behind them as Hoseok helps you with your clothes, murmuring soft praises as he does so. As you are coming down from your high, you help him tuck his now softened dick back into his pants, pressing your cheek briefly against his chest in a hug.

“You okay?” His voice is a pleasant rumble in his chest that you feel reverberating throughout your own.

“Yeah. D-did Jeongguk really see us though? Not that I care, or anything-“ you hastily correct yourself. “I just don’t want that little brat catching sight of the goodies.”

Hoseok pulls away with a laugh that makes your stomach flip, and the butterflies are flitting about equally unnerved. “Of course not, sweetheart. Do you think I would really let him see you like that? We were invisible the whole time.”

A darkened room, with the smell of fear and desperation in the air. The door is locked, but footsteps approach from the other side. With a tremendous force, the door is blasted open by some unknown power, splinters of wood embedding themselves into soft skin.

The glow of cerulean cuts through the blanket of darkness.

Hoseok awakes in a sweaty panic, eyes darting around the room as he gasps for breath, frantically reaching for you in the mess of blankets and pillows strewn around on the bed. You are still slumbering peacefully, completely unaware of the mortal peril that awaits you, but when Hoseok shakes you awake, you only swat him away.

“Five more minutes…”

But he is insistent, and when you pry your eyes open, you take in your boyfriend’s distressed state. Pushing yourself into a sitting position, you stroke his sweaty bangs away from his forehead, bringing his cheek to rest on your breast as you force his breathing to follow the slow cadence of your own. “What’s wrong? The same dream again?”

It is that one particular dream that has been plaguing him ever since he took you on the rooftop weeks ago. You always thought that being a Clairvoyant Krypton was a gift highly sought after, but having to watch your boyfriend wrest himself out of his nightmares repeatedly every single morning has you grateful that you are a mere mortal. It has definitely been taking a toll on your superhero, and the Krypton looks tired and worn out as he closes his eyes against your soft skin for comfort.

But despite having the same recurring dream for weeks in a row, nothing untoward has happened yet. You sought to appease him by staying home from work initially, but it was only a temporary solution. Bills still needed to be paid, and so you push Hoseok away from you gently so you can get ready for work.

Hoseok is uncharacteristically more clingy than usual as you struggle through your morning routine to beautify yourself. His arms are around your bare waist, lips on your shoulder and neck as nuzzles into your warm skin.

Considering that you already have a mega powerful Krypton boyfriend who sucks up powers like he’s Kirby, you’re not the least bit worried. If there’s any situation in which you find yourself in mortal danger, you know you can always count on Hoseok to swoop in and save the day like he always does. Alone, you may have resigned yourself to a life of nunnery locked up at home, but with Jung Hoseok by your side, you have nothing to fear.

But Hoseok clearly doesn’t feel the same way. You’ve already had a few arguments over Jeon Jeongguk, with Hoseok insisting that you stay away from him because he was apparently “dangerous and harbouring malicious intentions”.

“Do you even hear yourself, Jung Hoseok?” You are running late for work for the third time this week, and this has you in a mood. You brush him aside irritably as grab your coffee from the barista, thanking her with a brief smile. “I can’t just stay away from him, he’s my intern, I have to show him the ropes and stuff. It’s my job on the line here.”

“Can’t you just… I don’t know, hand him over to someone else? Like Jimin? He’s a sweet boy, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind taking over for you,” Hoseok follows you around like a puppy, bottom lip jutting out petulantly. His own Americano remains untouched in the other drink tray that you’re carrying.

“Jimin hasn’t been to work for a while actually…” You frown a little as you take a sip of your drink, feeling the liquid immediately warm you up from the chilly breeze outside. “Look, I know you’re worried about me and all. But he hasn’t even done anything to me yet. I know you’re just trying to look out for me baby, but I can’t just march up to my boss and get Jeongguk fired just because he’s intending to murder me the second he gets me alone.

“Clairvoyance deems a person guilty before proven innocent.” You tiptoe to give him a kiss to placate him, pushing the straw of his iced drink to his still pouting lips. Your arms are wrapped loosely around his slim waist. “I have to go in now. Have fun at dance, my favourite superhero. See you for dinner.”

You never knew that your big, scary superhero could pout in such an adorable way. But when the sky begins to darken, and a roll of thunder rumbles nearby, you pinch his bicep with a frown. “Hey! Stop that, people need to get to work. And all this humidity is ruining my hair!”

Hoseok relents with a sigh. You swat him on his ass to get him going, and he reluctantly steals one more kiss before watching you enter your own building.

Managing to dodge one pesky little Jeon Jeongguk should be an art form in itself, you decide, as you manage to make it through precisely 90% of the work day holed up in random meeting rooms and changing your location every few hours to make sure he doesn’t hunt you down. But going back to your desk to drop off some documents proves to be a bad idea.

“Noona, these just came for you, boss says it’s really urgent.” Jeongguk is hovering by your desk with a post it on his index finger as he waves it about. On your desk is a mountain of files that makes it look as if you have a million years’ worth of backlog. “She’s been trying to get a hold of you all day, where have you been?”

Ignoring his question, you briefly look through the files, along with the note from your boss that demands everything be done by tomorrow. It’s your fault for disappearing all day, now you’ll just have to lug every single file home.

“There’s so much, are you sure you can handle that all on your own?” Jeongguk sports a worried frown between his brows as he watches you stack all the files on top of one another. They come up to chest level, and you’re not even halfway done yet. He wheels over one of the document trolleys sitting nearby, and helps you to load it up.

“It’s fine, I can take a taxi back and claim it, anyway,” you mutter to yourself, already kissing a relaxing evening with Hoseok and Somin goodbye. Just as well, since Hoseok is due to be back late from his classes today. But Somin will definitely be more than annoyed since she wanted to binge watch the latest series of Black Mirror, and is too much of a scaredy cat to do it on her own.

“Noona, let me help you, I’ll come with you,” Jeongguk is way too helpful for his own good as he helps you to manoeuvre the trolley to the lift. “I’m a Krypton, let me do my job.”

It occurs to you that you could very well call Hoseok and have him help you out with this just as easily, but the thought of distracting him from his classes fills you with guilt. He is your Krypton, but what for make him come all the way here when you have another equally willing Krypton at your disposal?

Jeongguk jogs out onto the street to hail a cab, and looking at the document laden trolley, you’re almost sure that you could never manage it on your own. Besides, Somin is waiting at home for you, so you won’t exactly be alone. But there is still an unsettling feeling that pervades as Hoseok’s warnings are resounding in your head. You glance at Jeongguk’s frantic waving, your mind racing to think of a solution that will get you out of this.

Just then, you see a familiar silhouette leaving the building.

“Taehyung! Kim Taehyung!” You shout at the top of your lungs, attracting the stares of few passerbys, but the man in question turns around.

He takes in the trolley at your side, and Taehyung jogs over with a concerned look on his face.

“Taehyung, I’m sorry to bother you, but could you help me with these?” Glancing over at Jeongguk, you see that he’s managed to hail a cab already, and he’s making his way back to you at that very moment. “And could I trouble you to follow Jeongguk and I back to my house? It’s just, my boyfriend isn’t home yet, and I don’t want him to get the wrong idea and all…”

Your voice trails off as you berate yourself for being unable to come up with a better excuse. It sounds lame even to your own ears, but Taehyung only shrugs as he starts to push the trolley toward Jeongguk and the taxi. “Sure, no problem. Seems like your boyfriend is the jealous type, huh?”

“Something like that,” you mutter under your breath as he helps you to load up the car, slightly more at ease now as you get into the front seat, with the two boys taking up the passenger seat.

A bolt of lightning splits the violet and fuchsia sunset sky, and the following roll of thunder echoes deep in your bones.

“Th-thanks for helping me with these,” you are out of breath even though you barely even lifted a finger in helping them lug the entire trolley up the stairs that lead to your apartment. You can only blame the out of service elevator, but the two boys are unaffected. “I don’t know what I would have done without you, Taehyung.”

“Hey, what about me? I helped too!”

“Yeah, a huge help you were,” you sigh as you unlock your door, and the thought of the long night ahead puts a further damper on your spirits. “But really, thank you. I’ll treat you both to something delicious someday, okay?”

Kicking off your heels, you step inside your house, and seeing how you struggle even getting the trolley past the threshold, Taehyung levitates it effortlessly, following you inside as he sets it down in the corner for you.

“Jeon, you coming in, dude?” Taehyung kicks off his shoes as he invites himself inside.

“Uh, yeah, of course!” Jeongguk closes the door behind him, and although this isn’t exactly what you’d planned for, you can’t just kick the two boys out like this.

“Did you guys want a drink or something? I’m afraid I don’t have much in the house,” you chuckle nervously as you take a peek in the fridge. You know how Hoseok likes his beers, but unfortunately, the three of you had just finished the last of it on your last movie night, and there’s nothing in the fridge except for some stale sodas, and-

“Why so nervous, little one?”

The voice sends a shiver down your spine.

Jeongguk’s eyes are alight with an aquamarine glow as he steps into your kitchen, and suddenly, any desire to run or escape fades, and you feel unusually at ease, your entire body as light as air, every nerve of yours completely numb. Your ears feel as if they are stuffed with cotton, your mouth as dry as the Sahara Desert, and your head is pounding, the pain growing with every step that Jeongguk takes.

“I-it was you-“ you are struggling to form the words, your lungs constricting as Jeongguk’s once innocent smile morphs into a malicious grin as he watches you crumple to the ground, clutching your temples. “It was you-that night.”

“Bingo,” he whispers as he crouches down beside you, laying a hand on your forehead, and suddenly, everything is multiplied tenfold, making you scream in agony. The throbbing turns into a stabbing pain, and your mind begins to swim, consciousness rapidly fading as Jeongguk’s touch sucks the life force out of you. “You were so easy to charm, little one. Just a few touches here and there and you’re putty in my hands. Just like all the other girls before you. Just like your pathetic little boss who hired me the moment I looked into her eyes.”

“Dude, I didn’t know you could manipulate moods,” Taehyung comments, his tone one of awe as he makes sure the door is locked before joining him in the kitchen. “That’s sick. So, what should we do with her now?”

“We wait till that freak Krypton of hers gets home. Then we’ll kill them together.” Jeongguk strokes your cheek gently. “Although, it would be fun to see how he reacts when he comes home and sees the walls painted with her blood, wouldn’t it? I didn’t finish the job last time, but this time will be different. Lucky for me, Taehyung came along and told me you happened to be his coworker. Funny how things work out, hmm?”

Then, he turns to Taehyung. “Restrain her.”

Taehyung moves to do as he says, lifting you effortlessly and shoving you into one of your living room chairs. But then, there is a scuffle that emerges from one of the bedrooms, and the two men freeze.

“What is that? Do you have a roommate? Is there someone else living here?” Jeongguk turns to you with a vicious snarl. “You won’t spill? No matter. We’ll just go check it out, and then you can watch whoever it is die in front of your eyes. Taehyung, bring her.”

And then you are forced to your feet, and each step that you take is against your will as they lead you towards Somin’s room. Jeongguk pushes the door open, only to be met with some resistance, but with a single glance from Taehyung, the door is blasted apart, sending splinters flying everywhere and revealing Somin’s trembling figure in the corner, fingers wrapped tightly around her phone as she glances up fearfully.

“I think I’ll take that,” Taehyung says as he wrenches the phone from her, and it comes flying across the room. “Well. Look what we have here. Looks like it’s two for the price of one.”

Taehyung’s tremendous strength sends you sprawling into the corner as he shoves you hard with this telekinetic ability, and you crash into Somin, tears streaming down your face as she clutches you in fear.

“The attack on Pyramid House,” you gasp, wincing as you push yourself into a sitting position, knees curled into your chest. “P-please, why are you doing this? What do you want? Why are you hurting innocent people? Y-you’re Kryptons, you’re supposed to be protecting us!”

Jeongguk only sighs as he perches himself on the edge of Somin’s bed, studying his fingernails in mock boredom. “Yeah, we got tired of that. In case you haven’t realised, we Kryptons are the superior race here. Just look at you. You’re pathetic. You can’t survive without us. All you’re good at is squandering natural resources and defacing the Earth you live on. How much sense does it make to keep such an inferior species around?”

Hoseok was right all along. You should have believed him, taken his warning more seriously, and then maybe you wouldn’t be in this situation. Now, you are helpless and stranded without him, too weak to fight back against the very heroes you’d entrusted your life with.

“It wasn’t reported as such, but the attempt on the President’s life was a success,” Taehyung speaks up now, coming to crouch in front of the two of you. “Our people have taken over the government from the inside. It was really too easy, like taking candy from a baby. See what happens when you let outsiders defend you? Now, we are everywhere. With the silly little ‘One Krypton to every human’ propaganda your own government promoted, it really speaks volumes for the trust that you have in us.”

“Too bad that trust is unfounded,” Jeongguk snorts in amusement.

“Jimin, what have you done with him?” Thoughts of your sweet natured, angelic little co-worker come to mind, and suddenly, a sick feeling pervades the pit of your stomach.

Taehyung only grins as he draws a slice across his throat. “Dumped him in a random alley somewhere. You’ll hear about it in the news soon. If you’re still alive by then, that is.”

“Now of course, every revolution has its rebels, individuals who think they can make a difference by standing in the way of the greater good,” Jeongguk joins Taehyung as he traces a random pattern on your cheek, causing your migraine to roar to life, and you are once again immobilised by the pain. “Your boyfriend is one such example. But no worries, for he’ll soon be eradicated.”

“Th-is is n-not a r-revol-lution, y-you fucking fools,” you grit your teeth against the blinding pain that threatens to drag you down into an eternal darkness, fighting it with every ounce of strength that you have. “It’s a-a genocide.”

Jeongguk relinquishes his touch with a disappointed sigh, and the debilitating pain lets up just a tad. “Well, I suppose that would have to depend on which side you’re on, now wouldn’t it? For us, it’s a liberation after years of being your slaves.”

“Now, be good girls and don’t move while we wait for your boyfriend to come back, hmmm?” Taehyung sing-songs as he upends the entire bed, lifting it above your heads and sending it crashing down. The both of you are screaming in terror, waiting for the weight to smother you, but it never comes.

The bedframe is wedged against the two walls that form the corner in which you are huddled against with Somin, forming a barrier that keeps you trapped. You hear the two rogue Kryptons murmur something on the other side of the barrier, and soon enough, their retreating footsteps indicate that they have left the room.

You remain paralysed, slumped against the wall as you feel your terror as acutely as a lump wedged in your throat. Somin is still trembling, tears trailing down her cheeks as she gets to her feet, attempting to dislodge the bedframe that imprisons the both of you.

“Somin, stop, what are you doing?” You grab her arm to stop her from throwing her weight against the bedframe.

“Getting us the fuck out of here, that’s what,” she says with her lips pressed into a firm line. With a lunge, her shoulder hits the solid frame, but it doesn’t budge a single inch, but she cries out in pain as she clutches her shoulder.

“We can’t do this, we’re too weak,” You tug her away from the bed, trying in vain to see the damage done, but Somin is and has always been stubborn. “We’re no match for them, Somin, you saw what Taehyung can do! And together with Jeongguk, they’re practically unstoppable!”

“Then what are we supposed to do?” Somin shoves you hard against the wall with a sob, frustration evident in her voice. “Just give up and wait for them to kill us?”

“N-no, Hoseok. Hoseok will come and save us, he always does,” your voice is nothing but an unsteady tremble in your chest. “He will save us, I know it. We can’t do it without him.”

But Somin is having none of it as she shakes you hard, with her hands on your arms. “Don’t you fucking see? You said it yourself. Jeongguk reads every single thought of ours before we even form it in our heads. Taehyung controls every single movement of ours. How would Hoseok be any different if he can’t even get close enough to touch them? We have to do it. We have to save ourselves.”

“B-but still, maybe… he is a Krypton, and he- he stands a better chance…”

“You better hope so, little one.” And you can’t see him, but you know that the two rogue Kryptons are back in the room.

The bedframe is tossed aside by Taehyung carelessly, landing on Somin’s desk and crushing it to smithereens. It’s only then that you see Hoseok, who is down on his knees, head bowed with Taehyung standing behind him, and Jeongguk’s hand is only a few inches away from Hoseok’s forehead.

Your boyfriend is subdued, there isn’t a single scratch on his body, but Taehyung is keeping him pinned with tremendous force through his telekinetic ability. Even so, the rogue Krypton seems to be expending a significant amount of concentration and energy in keeping your boyfriend on his knees.

Hoseok’s breathing is laboured, as if he were breathing in lungfuls of broken glass, and you can see the veins which are prominent in his neck as he struggles to lift his head to look at you. His cheeks are tearstained, lips mouthing words that you cannot hear. Every movement is pure agony and torture for him as he groans, a low, mournful sound as he struggles against his invisible bonds. As Hoseok continues to struggle, he is suddenly lifted into the air and slammed against the wall headfirst, causing the entire structure to collapse as he falls boneless to the ground in a crumpled, defeated heap.

“I thought I’d do you a favour and allow the two of you to see each other in your last dying moments,” Jeongguk shrugs as he beckons you over with his free hand. “Come over here, little one. I won’t bite. At least not for now.”

There is nothing more devastating than witnessing a superhero experience defeat. But even worse still is watching your superhero, the one who’d never failed to be your saving grace and source of strength and comfort, tossed aside like a ragdoll. That image of Hoseok on his knees, head bowed in helplessness is forever burned into your irises as you watch him struggle to his feet, only to be slammed face first into the ground.

A guttural scream rips from your throat, and you don’t even realise that it had come from you if not for the searing pain that tears into your larynx as you lunge at Jeongguk. But you are caught in mid-air and flung aside just as easily. Never in your life have you felt more helpless than this very moment as the wind is knocked out of you and you crumple like a piece of paper tossed into a raging inferno.

“Enough playing around. Taehyung, get that freak on his knees and make him stay there. It’s time to end it for good,” Jeongguk grabs you by the collar and shoves you aside. As Somin lunges for his throat, he deflects her easily with a swift knee to her stomach. “And put these two worthless little rats in their place while you’re at it.”

Hoseok is forced up onto his knees, an invisible force around his neck cutting off his air supply as he struggles in vain. Then, you and Somin are forced to your knees as well, prostrate against the ground with your forehead against the cold floor.

“_____,” Somin chokes out your name in a bare whisper. “Y-you have to do it.”

“I can’t,” your breath is a raspy, broken sound that you don’t even recognise. You are rooted to the spot by more than just physical pain and Taehyung’s might; you are paralysed by the inaction that has plagued you for your entire life, frozen by the belief that you are helpless to save yourself when it really counts. “H-hoseok…”

“-can’t save us right now.” Somin closes her eyes as she struggles to control her panic laden breathing, whimpering as her arm bends in an unnatural direction with her being forced to put her weight on it. “A-aim for Taehyung.”

You suddenly recall the look of immense concentration on Taehyung’s face as he struggled to subdue Hoseok. With the added effort of keeping you and Somin in place, it shouldn’t take much just to tip the scales in your favour and break his concentration, allowing Hoseok just that split second he needs to make contact with Taehyung, and then-

If it’s not you, then who?

Little by little, inch by inch, you push your arms below your body to support your weight even as you can see the deathly glow of Jeongguk’s cerulean eyes refract throughout the room as he concentrates his efforts on Hoseok. The two rogue Kryptons are now occupied, and this is your chance.

It’s up to you to save your superhero.

Taking a deep breath, you gather every single ounce of energy that’s left in your broken and bruised body. With an inhumane strength, and the image of Hoseok’s tearstained cheeks urging you on, you push yourself to your knees, lunging for Taehyung’s torso with your eyes tightly screwed shut even as your muscles strain against his immense power. For a moment, it feels as if you are suspended in midair, caught in a moment of suspense, but you push forward with all your might.

And it works- Taehyung is distracted, and his concentration breaks for a second as you slam into him, causing him to topple into Hoseok, and that’s all it takes.

The moment Hoseok’s hands come into contact with Taehyung, Jeongguk is sent flying, smashing into the concrete wall behind him with a surprised groan. Taehyung crashes through the window in a similar manner, and Hoseok is left struggling to his feet, panting harshly with his sweat soaked hair limp on his forehead.

With a swift gesture, Jeongguk floats into the air, his hands coming to clutch at his throat desperately as he struggles for air. Hoseok tosses him out the window, plummeting to his death after Taehyung, and then he slumps to the ground, closing his eyes for a brief moment in silent victory.

You can feel him lift you gently and levitate you into his arms. Back in his embrace, your bruised and battered body feels renewed.

“A-are you okay?” His voice is merely above a whisper, but you understand him just fine.

“I’m okay, but Somin-“

“I’m- fine too, just this stupid arm,” she says as she cradles it close to her chest, giving you a look of awe. “That was fucking amazing, ______.”

When you glance over at Hoseok, a similar look is reflected upon his own face. A smile spreads slowly across his lips, as dazzling and illuminating as the sun that creeps into the twilight dawn. He beams at you, and his radiance equals the sun itself as it strikes a chord of joy in your heart.

“Maybe you can be my hero now.”

#bts #bts jung hoseok #bts jhope #bangtan bookclub #bangtanwriters-net #kwriterskollection #bts smut #bts jhope smut

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rewrite-the-wrongs · 5 years

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introductions / howdy, pardner

My first short story was about a fishboy and his human best friend. They battled a mutant piranha (whose name I think may have been Mutant Piranha, such was the monumental daring of my creative endeavor) and his army, who were out to destroy a mountain that held a whole planet together. The boys won singlehandedly, because scale was apparently a bit of a mystery to me.

This was the second grade. My teacher--who held me every day as I cried for weeks, confused and miserable and stranded in the throes of my parents’ divorce--understood before I did that I create to a ploddingly slow and steady drumbeat. A sentence is always so much more in my head than I’m able to let out, at first; I have to pore over it again and again, fleshing and flourishing (and often correcting) it, the same way I often have to reread paragraphs or pages or whole books to truly capture their meaning. In a word processor, this back-and-forth is as easily said as it is done; on double-wide ruled paper with dashed-line handwriting guides, the task is magnitudes more time-consuming, especially for somebody as messy as I am. So, while nearly everybody else played at recess on the sandlot and the jungle gym around us, a select few stragglers laid our reading folders on our laps and finished our stories.

My villain, that dastardly Mutant Piranha, found himself in prison at the story’s close. Awaiting trial, I guess; I never ventured that far ahead, seeing the big fishy bastard for a coward. “When no one was looking, he stabbed himself.” That’s the last line, stuck in my memory, not for its own sake, but for my poor teacher’s horrified face as she read my final draft there on the playground.

A mom volunteered to type up the class’ stories and get them printed and bound. For years afterward I reread that collection, always proud to have written the second-longest piece therein. I felt the weight of the pages, inhaled the tiny but acrid breeze that came from rapidly leafing through them. Knew it was a whole smattering of worlds inside, that one of those worlds was wholly mine, and I had the power to show it to people however I wished. Yes, I thought, I want this.

I’ve been introduced to writing many times over, by many people. Don’t get me wrong--I nightowled the first several chapters to many half-baked novel concepts all through my youth. But teachers have a way of showing a thing to you from new angles.

The first person to impact me as such was a high school teacher who was essentially given carte-blanche to construct a creative writing workshop in the English curriculum. The first semester was structured--you practiced poems, short fiction, humor and essay writing, drama, the gamut. Every semester after, the carte-blanche was passed on: A single assignment due a week, each a single draft of a poem or a minimum of two pages’ worth of prose. Forty-five minutes a day to work, and of course free time at home. By the time I graduated, I’d finagled my schedule such that I was spending two periods a day in the computer lab, and several hours after school every day working the literary arts magazine before I went home to get the rest of my homework out of the way and write some more..

My next big influence came in the form of a pair of writers who taught fiction at my university, a married couple. One had me print stories and literally, physically cut them up section-by-section as a method of reworking chronologies. Told me stories happened like engines or clocks or programs--pieces that meshed differently depending on how they were put together, rules that held each other in place. The other showed boundless confidence in me, listened happily to some older students who recommended I be brought on board for a national arts mag. They both encouraged me toward grad school, but toward the end of my junior year I began to stumble, and by senior year I was, to be frank, a drunken asshole. Time I could be bothered to set aside for writing began to dwindle. I limped through the editorship with the help of my extremely talented, utterly more-than-worthy successor--and come to think of it, I’ve never truly thanked her. Maybe I’ll send her that message, now that I’m feeling more myself.

On feeling more myself:

That drunken rage was brought on by a myriad list of factors, the primary ones being 1) I am the child of recovering alcoholics, and our inherited family trauma runs deep, 2) An assault that will likely be mentioned no further from hereon in, as I have reached a solid level of catharsis about it, 3) Some toxic-ass relationship issues, and 4) I was a massive egg and had no idea (or, really, I had some idea, just not the language or understanding or even the proper empathy to eloquently and effectively explore it).

I had a recent relapse with drinking, technically--a mimosa at Christmas breakfast at my partner’s parents’ home--but I’m not honestly sure I can call it a legitimate relapse. I’m not in any official self-help group, I’ve never engaged in the twelve steps or a professional rehabilitation. I had a very wonderful therapist for a few years but reached a point at which I could not pay her any longer and we parted ways--I miss her dearly, as she truly became my friend and confidante; she was the first person I came out to, and very well-equipped to handle it, lucky for me--but I’m still on behavioral medication. That tiny smidgen of alcohol pushed my antidepressants right out of my brain, and I became terribly anxious and angry and sad all at once, and briefly lashed out during a conversation with my partner behind closed doors. Not nearly the lashing out I’ve released in the now-distant past--more on that maybe-never, but who knows, as I am obviously a chronic over-sharer.

Frankly, I don’t deserve my partner. She endured my past abuses, told me to my face I had to be better, and found it in herself to wait for me to grow. She’s endlessly and tirelessly supportive of me. She sat with me to help me maintain the nerve to start this blog tonight. I came out to her as a trans woman just under a year ago, now, and I’m happier than ever, and we communicate better than ever. Our relationship is, bar-none, the healthiest and stablest and happiest I’ve ever been in.

So, naturally, I apologized fairly quickly at Christmas, and continuing where I’d left off at two and a half years, decided I’m still solid without booze.

If we’re all being honest, though (and I’m doing my best to be one hundred percent honest, here, though I will absolutely be censoring names because no shit), I still smoke way too much fuckin’ weed. High as balls, right now. 420 blaze it, all day erryday, bruh. That self-medicated ADHD life. I should be on Adderall and not antidepressants, probably, but it’s been a while since an appointment and psychiatrists are expensive, so I’m at where I’m at for now. Sativas help a lot. It helps with the dysphoria, too.

I don’t have a legal diagnosis for gender dysphoria, but tell that to my extreme urge to both be in and have a vagina. I’m making little changes--my hair, an outfit at a time, no longer policing how I walk or run or how much emphasis I put on S sounds. If I manage to come out to my parents sometime soon--and it feels like that moment is closer every day--maybe I’ll tell y’all my real, full chosen name. For right now, call me Easy.

Anyhow. My goals here are pretty simple:

1) Share words, both those by people I like/admire/sometimes know! and occasionally words I’ve made that I like. See the above screenshot from my notes app. Steal some words if you want, but if you manage to make money off some of mine, holler at ya gurl’s Venmo, yeah?

2) Discuss words, how they work, and how we create them, use them, engage with them, and ultimately make art of them. I am not a professional linguist, but I went to undergrad for creative writing, so, hey, I’ll have opinions and do my best to back them up with ideas from people smarter than I am.

3) Books! Read them, revisit them, quote them, talk about them, sometimes maybe even review them, if I’m feeling particularly bold. No writer can exist in a vacuum, and any writer who insists they don’t like to read is either a) dyslexic and prefers audiobooks or b) in serious need of switching to a communications major (no shade, but also definitely a little shade @corporate journalism).

5) I added this last, but I feel it’s less important than 4 and does not deserve bookend status, and I am verbose but incredibly lazy, so here I am, fucking with the system. Anyway: Art! Music! Video games! I fucking love them. I’ll talk about them, sometimes, too. Maybe I’ll finally do some of the ekphrastic work I’ve felt rattling around in my brain for a while now. Jade Cocoon 2′s Water Wormhole Forest, looking right the fuck at you.

6) Ah, shit, I did it again. Oh well. Last-but-not-last: This is obviously, in some ways, a diary, or a massive personal essay. I will sometimes discuss people, places, or experiences that have informed my work just the same as other people’s art has.

4) Be an unabashed and open Trans woman. TERFs, transphobes, ill-informed biological essentialists not permitted. Come at me and my girldick and prepare to be dunked on and subsequently shown the door via a swift and painful steel-toed kick in the ass. Everybody who doesn’t suck, if I screw up on any matter of socio-ethics or respect for diversity, please feel free to correct me.

Punk’s dead, but we’re a generation of motherfucking necromancers. Be gay, do crime, fight the patriarchy, and fart when you gotta. May the Great Old Ones select you to ascend to a higher plane and learn the terrible truths of existence.

Much love--

Easy

#writers #writing #creative writing #trans #trans woman #fuck TERFs #writing about writing #writer #my writing #diary

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azuresquirrel · 6 years

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SO. MOULIN ROUGE BOSTON PRE-BROADWAY RUN PREMIERE. This is going to be massively unorganized, as I simply try to remember as much as I can from the show. And folks, this is a lot of show. This post is MASSIVE and needless to say I’ll be spoiling A LOT about this world premiere pre-Broadway run that may or may not have changes made to it.

(before I speak of the show itself, let me say that is was FUCKING CHAOTIC in the Colonial. Literally all seats but TWO were filled in the balcony, and probably the whole theatre, and they did not have enough people working there for this crowd. I didn’t even get a program because they didn’t have enough ushers)

So like the overall take of this is that it is EXCESSIVE and OVERWHELMING. I mean that as a good thing. I of course have a bunch of nitpicks, and they could very well change things for Broadway, but this was essentially a Broadway-ready show that is set to be a crowdpleaser. Somehow they managed to capture the feeling of the movie itself on the stage with the direction and choreography, even with the numerous changes both necessary in terms of restructuring the story for a musical format, and just stuff used to differentiate the stage show. While a few things added I guess were something of an attempt to ‘deepen’ the story, largely they understand what this is – a big old sparking cupcake of musical and theatrical excess and it is goddamn enjoyable for it. It hooked me, it sure hooked the rest of the audience that hooted and hollered and clapped (I have bruises on my hands now).

DESIGNS ARE IMPECCABLE. The sets are ASTOUNDING (I gasped at a scene transition at one point). The scenery is extended outside of the proscenium with the windmill flanking one side and the elephant flanking another. The apron of the stage extended out and surrounded the front audience seats, who were seated at club tables a’la Cabaret or a much smaller scale Great Comet. The costumes are EXCESSIVE and impressive even if they don’t fully match a few of the film’s iconic looks. The lighting design – my god, was the lighting designer on speed?? Or something?? Honestly don’t see this show if you are prone to seizures it is THAT MUCH. Choreography is on goddamn point.

The cast is pretty much Broadway-ready and I hope they don’t replace a single one of them. Aaron Tveit and Karen Olivo are the perfect Broadway-versions of the Ewan McGregor-Nicole Kidman star power of the movie. I don’t know how the fuck Karen does it but she was at a TEN the entire fucking time, just belting every number like her life depended on it, and she really brought a lot of shading to Satine as a woman who has hardened herself to survive (one thing somewhat different from the movie, I guess with Karen not exactly being a youthful ingénue anymore was this idea of this being Satine’s ‘last chance’ but it melded into her arc pretty seamlessly). Aaron by contrast seemed to be holding back a bit/conserving his energy, especially in act one, but he fucking brings it when he needs to and his vocal command of that shitload of music is impressive, not a hint of strain. Christian is somewhat different from the movie version – he’s not British anymore he’s American (from goddamn LIMA, OHIO. GLEE.), and with act two being played for the tragedy he goes rather darker than movie Christian. Instead of a generic writer he is specifically a composer and the writer of love songs, and he’s somewhat less of the pure naïve innocent of McGregor’s Christian, but I thought it worked.

Danny Burstein absolutely nails it as Zidler, perfectly introducing the audience to the show and the tone. ZIdler is explicitly gay now in the stage show and largely it just fits the character that’s already there rather than making him ‘stereotypical’ (or rather not anymoreso than he already is). Honestly this is mostly a great change (I have a slight criticism for a plot point in act two), and it really helps his relationship with Satine and him becoming something less of a controlling sleazeball. This is especially needed because stage Satine’s goal is less to “fly away” and become a real actress, but rather to save the people of the Moulin Rouge, who she regards as a family. Thus Zidler is far less controlling over her, rather they feel much more like peers. Notably (AND A GOOD CHANGE) Zidler does not find out Satine is sick when she’s unconscious and withholds it from her, Zidler finds out she’s sick in act two and immediately tells her it’s consumption (which killed his first love, ANATOLE). Also he does not order her to break Christian’s heart to save him from the Duke’s wrath, that’s a decision Satine makes entirely on her own, so the plot changes to Zidler also strengthens Satine’s character and gives her a lot more agency.

By far the biggest change from the movie is everything about how they play the Duke. The Duke is not a foppish pathetic nebbish of a man who’s clearly no competition for Christian. Played by Tam Mutu, this Duke is sexy, threatening, controlling, and dominating (emphasis intended). Heck we’re introduced to him BEFORE CHRISTIAN (kinda nuts???). The love triangle is very much that, with the Duke being a very real villain who offers Satine everything she wants in terms of money but is also a controlling asshole (and extends that to the Moulin Rouge and the show within a show as well). He is not clueless and bumbling, Satine IS sleeping with him the whole time, and there’s no giant manservant, he makes his violent threats directly and you believe it (however they, WISELY I feel, cut the attempted rape during El Tango Roxanne, which is in the show but VERY recontextualized, even with act two being played more for tragedy it was wise to not go THAT dark with it). It will then not surprise you that one of the big movie numbers that’s cut is “Like a Virgin” as this would not fit this decidedly non-comic version of the Duke.

Sahr Ngaujah plays Lautrec, and he is a REVELATION as I was unfamiliar with him before. He is a FORCE OF NATURE. He is not a little person, nor is that played in this Lautrec (aside from like two lines of the Duke calling him “little man” which honestly read awkwardly). Rather he has a cane and a limp, and there’s now a really strong racial undercurrent to his devotion to Bohemian ideals as he is a Black man. He is charismatic and has a great voice. Since the bohemians in the stage version are really pared down (wisely, conservation of character) to just Lautrec and the Argentinian, Lautrec’s role is beefed up a lot, although it doesn’t always make entire sense. Lautrec is now the director and the book writer for the show-within-a-show, and his bohemian ideals are MUCH stronger as the show-within-a-show is dramatically changed. While there are jokes in act one about him going on about putting ‘proletariat’ ideals in his work, in act two he very explicitly stands against the Duke trying to change the show, so “freedom, beauty, truth and love” feels like it really means something to him rather than in the movie where they just seems a bunch of horny artists. On the stage, Lautrec is an old friend of Satine’s having met her when she was thirteen and dumps a lot of backstory onto Christian for us. He also says he was in love with Satine but never told her. This honestly leads to some character inconsistency – in one scene he’s telling Christian to “not make his mistake” and go for love, and in another he’s telling Christian to “forget about her, she’s made her choice”???? Also did we really need another dude in love with Satine with the central love triangle?

Let’s talk music – a lot of the music from the movie is still in there, though a few notable numbers have been cut, like the aforementioned “Like a Virgin.” They also added A LOT MORE MUSIC, including into mashups with other existing songs. MOST of these slot in amazingly into great numbers. In my mind there are two new numbers that really don’t live up to what they are replacing, but generally the new music sounds GREAT. Orchestrations and ensemble vocal arrangements are STUNNING on a few numbers, particularly the act two opener. There is, however, a SLIGHT tonal problem with some of the new music and the audience. A lot of new songs provoked laughter from the audience as they recognized them. For most songs this was not a problem, especially in the frothy frivolity of act one, but for the more dramatic numbers is kind of was (especially, again, in tragic act two). Please know that I will SO be getting the inevitable cast recording because everyone’s voices on these numbers are amazing.

NOW FOR THE NITTY-GRITTY. So there was ZERO pre-show announcement because THE SHOW TRANSITIONED INTO STARTING NEAR-SEEMLESSLY. About ten minutes before “start” actors slowly came onto stage, dancing, cavorting, entertaining the audience. Two of the very attractive women did a SWORD-SWALLOWING ACT right in front of the big Moulin Rouge sign. Then Christian comes onstage, observing off to the side, then hits the lights (there was a massive prop switch on one side of the stage that was used throughout the show for ‘the lights’), so the show can “start.” It begins right at the Moulin Rouge with “Lady Marmalade,” then Zidler’s entrance truly playing the crowd, including setting off THE CONFETTI CANON THAT IS CONCEALED IN HIS CANE, then into the Can-Can. Then the Duke enters with some contemporary song that honestly I SHOULD know but do not, and he sits in the booth on stage right. Then Christian enters with Lautrec and the Argentinian and they seat on stage left (the three of them also harmonize A BUNCH throughout the show and it sounds great).

It is only when Zidler begins to introduce Satine that the spotlight hits Christian and he begins “narrating” the story about the woman he loved. Christian has no typewriter like in the movie. Essentially what I got from the finale is that the show itself is him telling the story? He is a songwriter now after all? Anyway, at that point it transitions back in time to earlier that day when he arrives in Paris. This was the set change that floored me, immediately the stage transforms from the opulent Moulin Rouge to the streets on Montmarte in PERFECT GREYSCALE (one of the smaller but stunning pieces of stagecraft in the show is when Christian sings “the hills are alive with the sound of music” – when the spotlight hits him the backdrop goes from greyscale to full color in the light, then back again). So he meets up with Lautrec and the Argentinian, and they hit it off together to “Royals” (THIS ACTUALLY WORKS ASTOUNDINGLY WELL). They quickly hatch the scheme to pitch the show (which Lautrec wants to name “Bohemian Rhapsody”) to Satine, and we return back to the scene we left in the Moulin Rouge for Satine’s entrance.

SHE ENTERS DOWN FROM THE SWING. In a red feathered dress that later does an amazing quick change/reveal to a black diamond-studded lingerie number (Karen Olivo spends A LOT of this musical in fancy lingerie). On the swing she sings bits of “Diamonds are Forever” and then it goes into “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.” For the “Material Girl” bit the female ensemble comes out in matching top hats that they all take off to reveal Madonna wigs. Then we have “Single Ladies” mashed up into it. Satine does not get back onto the swing to fall off dramatically, she simply has a moment in the song where she nearly faints, but she recovers to dance on top of a giant diamond platform.

Then her and Zidler have the mix-up of who is the Duke while the dancers dance to “Rhythm of the Night”, and then when Satine and Christian meet and dance it is set to a mashup of “Shut Up and Dance With Me” and “Raise Your Glass” (MUCH LIKE ROYALS, THIS SHOULDN’T WORK, AND YET IT ABSOLUTELY DOES???). Lautrec and the Argentinian also distract Zidler with some song and I think “We Are Young” is somewhere in all of this as well (HONESTLY I DO NOT REMEMBER EVERY SINGLE NEW SONG BECAUSE THERE WAS *A LOT* OF MUSIC IN THIS SHOW, “WE ARE YOUNG” WAS IN THERE AT SOME POINT).

Afterwards we get a backstage scene of Satine talking with Zidler and the main “Lady Marmalade” girls talking about needing the Duke’s money in order for the Moulin Rouge to survive and keep everyone off the streets. So here Satine’s motivation is much less “become a real actress and escape the Moulin Rouge” but instead “the people of Moulin Rouge are my family and I need to singlehandedly keep this place going.” Satine KNOWS she’s sick and is keeping it from everyone/doesn’t think it’s that big a deal.

-Now I should mention here as a slight tangent that one of the Lady Marmalade girls is um, well, she’s played as a transwoman. Mmm. I have. Thoughts. On this. For one thing, I can’t tell you the gender identity of the performer as I did not get a playbill. For another thing, while yes most of the characters are sex workers, and yes I appreciate putting a wider display of gender and sexuality onstage (which only fits the world of early-20th-century artist-bohemian Paris), do we really need more of the hoary old trope of the sexworker transwoman? It’s a small part of the show but still. CONCERN over that choice.

So obviously we don’t have “One Day I’ll Fly Away.” Instead we have . . . “Firework.” Number I don’t feel entirely works number 1. Now Karen SELLS THE GODDAMN SHIT out of it, but like. “Firework.” Not as a good of a number as “One Day I’ll Fly Away.” Also even though they obviously avoid the line about feeling “like a plastic bag” they do keep the line about FOURTH OF JULY in Paris, France. Even with Moulin Rouge being as over-the-top and fantastical as it is, boy does that stick out as WEIRD.

Then we go into the elephant set (it’s a garish room surrounded by an elephant proscenium, there are so many layers to this set), and “Your Song” remains in its glory, although we do not do the ‘dancing in the stars’ bit (NOT YET).

Now “Spectacular, Spectacular” is dramatically rewritten to reflect the show-within-a-show being VERY different as it is no longer set in India. Instead, Lautrec is playing into the actual revolutionary theatre style of the early 20th century of extreme realism (HONESTLY I FEEL LIKE I APPRECIATE THIS MUCH MORE THAN MOST AS A FORMER THEATRE SCHOLAR). Thus the play more resembles the actual La Boheme, or the “social dramas” of the time which is WHAT PARISIAN BOHEMIANS WOULD BE WRITING AND PERFORMING – Lautrec says plainly in act two that he wants to ‘hold up a mirror to Paris.’ So the show-within-a-show is set in Paris and is about the love triangle between a prostitute, a romantic sailor, and a rich gangster. Largely I think it’s a good thing to steer the hell away from the massive cultural appropriation of the movie’s Indian version, although this dramatically changes the climax of the show, as it now becomes a more intimate scene between Christian and Satine than the triumphant LOVE ABOVE ALL ELSE in the movie (more on that later). And my one BIG costume regret is that Satine is then in a dingy black dress for the climax (which is actually a plot point in act two with the Duke arguing against this), rather than the beautiful iconic white gown from the movie. Ah well.

So after Satine gets everyone out of the room but the Duke, they actually DO THE DO, after the Duke sings a mashup of “Sympathy for the Devil” and “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”

After this we get a scene between Lautrec and Christian on the street writing the show, where Lautrec gives his and Satine’s backstory to Christian and sings “Nature Boy” gorgeously, eventually convincing Christian to go after her. The next scene is the Duke “negotiating” with Zidler, with Zidler’s male lover in there at the start (put a pin in that, we’re coming back to that in act two). By that I mean the Duke taking ownership of literally everything and agreeing to produce Lautrec’s show simply as “an amusement.”

We then go back to the elephant, and Christian is persuading Satine to have an affair with him behind the Duke’s back, and we have a revamped “Elephant Love Medley” with WAY MORE SONGS IN IT including “Take on Me”, “What’s Love Got to Do With It”, “Don’t Speak” and like LOTS MORE I AM PROBABLY FORGETTING. This morphs into the giant act one ender as HERE, once we hit “heroes” the stage transforms into the Paris skyline with all the stars out and the dancers wheel on the Eiffel Tower for Christian and Satine to dance on and EVERY SINGLE LIGHT IN THE THEATRE IS PROJECTING STARS and they quick-change into their starry blue costumes IT WAS ALL VERY OPULENT AND ROMANTIC.

So act one is very much a frothy delight of THEATRE!!!! MUSIC!!! LOVE!!!! BIG OLD PRODUCTION NUMBERS!!! And not to say that act two lacks those things but there is a NOTABLE tonal shift in act two to THE TRAGEDY of it all.

So act two opens with Christian narrating for the audience to think back to their first love affair, so that they can understand how he is driven to madness. He also introduces the “other” backstage love affair with the Argentinian and Nini, who are dancing erotically on the stage before rehearsal for the show starts. We begin the NUTSO act two opening number, starting as a duet of the two of them on motherfucking “Bad Romance.” It is AMAZING, particularly in the Argentinian’s growl. Then the other dancers enter, it becomes a group number which is then mashed up into “TOXIC” and “SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS” and eventually Christian and Satine join in with the whole group. The choreography for this whole number is NUTS the vocal arrangement OFF THE HOOK and it absolutely stopped the show.

So then we have rehearsals, including some prop comedy with Zidler that absolutely killed, and in a welcome change, instead of Nini divulging the affair to the Duke like in the movie (where it seemingly came out of nowhere), she instead WARNS Satine that the Duke is a dangerous man to mess with, telling about how another woman who cheated him ended up with her lover murdered in the river and the woman disfigured (this adds the legitimate threat to Christian and motivates Satine on her own). And the Duke gets the picture pretty clearly when Christian pulls the whole “SHE DOESN’T LOVE YOU” line in the rehearsal.

So after rehearsal goes shitty and Satine is conflicted about what to do with these two men, we get a scene of Zidler and the Lady Marmalade girls talking about how things are looking dire for the theatre. So essentially replacing “The Show Must Go On” from the movie we instead have Florence + the Machine’s “Shake It Off.” Number I have a problem with number two. Now this is a song that on its own I LOVE. But it honestly feels . . . out of place and unneeded. Again, the cast gives it their all but like . . . it just doesn’t fit in the way that “The Show Must Go On” did. I mean, I would see this as the number most likely to be cut or changed for Broadway, but honestly who the fuck knows.

The next scene is Satine going to Christian’s apartment. Here we have a full duet of “Come What May” (which is not a song in the show-within-a-show but just then straight-up singing about their love for each other).

Then the next scene is waaaaaay new as we have Satine with the Duke on a rich-ass boulevard with everyone in these extravagant rich-ass costumes that looks like Sunday in the Park with George was vomited on by Revolutionary Girl Utena and pastels (I’ll be real, the Duke is in the lavender suit with giant coat and tophat and I fucking wanted to wear the entire thing). The Duke shows Satine a house that he has bought for her and tells her all of the things he will provide for her – if she gives him “everything” including her heart, and she stops performing shortly after the show opens, as having his mistress parade herself onstage would be unbecoming to a man of his status. Satine, in her Sunday best but clearly on as “in fashion” as everyone else onstage, points out she doesn’t really fit his status. She then gets this . . . oddly sadomasochistic (?) makeover with the Duke singing a BIZARRE version of Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World” (it does work, but I think it is purposefully bizarre in the scene) and Satine sings a dark reprise of “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend” while she is put into this Eliza Dolittle monstrosity.

With another rehearsal scene and Lautrec talking back to the Duke and Christian ready to lose his shit over the Duke treating Satine, and everyone else, as his possession, we then transition to Christian’s apartment the night before the show. He’s going mad with jealousy, threatening to kill himself, and the Argentinian and Lautrec are trying to talk him down. Eventually they tell him he needs to purge himself of Satine with absinthe. They take absinthe while singing Sia’s “Chandeleer” (their three-part harmony on this is STUNNING) and as Christian goes into a haze he hallucinates first Satine as the green fairy (COMING DOWN ON THE SWING AGAIN) and then eventually a whole sequence of different green fairies, dancing with men. Still enraged and jealous, Christian takes to the streets.

EL TANGO ROXANNE. It is still here but it is MASSIVELY recontextualized. It’s a much less literal number now, no longer set in the Moulin Rouge, almost more of a dream ballet (??) as Christian wanders the streets. We being with ZIDLER being the one giving the opening speech explaining the dance while the Argentinian and Nini do the dance to the side. Then the lights go out and come back on with the spotlight on Christian center stage and with tango couples around him. It begins with him singing the “his eyes upon your hand” bridge, and then the actual Roxanne part is sung BY CHRISTIAN. I was massively thrown off by this at first, I was looking forward to hearing this Argentinian sing this version, but it fits more with Christian here as motivating his actions rather than as the beset-upon innocent, and Tveit fucking GIVE S IT HIS ALL. We also have Christian seeing a vision of Satine and you know the red dress she’s wearing in all the promo pics? She’s wearing it here.

So then the scene in the Duke’s tower is hugely different from the movie. At the start Satine enters the room and the Duke is talking with the man who we saw before as Zidler’s lover. Apparently the Duke has been paying him to be “his eyes” at the Moulin Rouge (so my pin – the evil gay? C’mon guys. At least Zidler’s sexuality largely isn’t demonized but like c’mon), so he is VERY aware of Satine and Christian’s extracurricular activities. He then gives Satine the ultimatum – be mine or Christian will end up a corpse with his throat slit ear to ear. Christian, drunk and high, enters and sadly attempts to fight the Duke and professes his love for Satine. Satine coldly turns him down to save his life and breaks down crying when the men leave.

We now have Christian broken and alone on the street and he begins singing “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkely, which then transitions into “Rolling in the Deep” (this was probably the most awkward part of the show where the audience laughed at recognizing a song). “Rolling” continues on to everyone getting ready for the show at the Moulin Rouge, to Satine singing as well, then we see Christian off to the side LOADING A GUN, and the number climaxes with Christian and Satine singing on either side with the dancers in the middle performing the start of the show within a show.

Then we have the BIG CLIMAX of the show with the show-within-a-show, which is now a much darker affair since it is not a glorious wedding in ~exotic India~. Christian crashes the scene, coming up from the actual theatre’s aisles as we are now fully the audience of the Moulin Rouge. Here Christian doesn’t slutshame Satine and claim to “pay his whore” instead he pulls out the loaded gun (as a part of the written scene) but then turns into to his own chest.

To bring him back with the confession of true love, Satine sings “Your Song.” Then after their big kiss Satine VERY QUICKLY falls into his arms and starts dying (hence how it’s less of a triumph into eventually tragedy, but rather a personal scene with Christian and Satine that takes a VERY QUICK TURN). And after asking Christian to “tell her story” Satine of course dies in his arms.

After this, Christian gives a very brief epilogue explaining how he started writing again, and now he starts to sing “Come What May”, eventually joined by everyone else in the Moulin Rouge, sans the dead Satine. They keep these poses after blackout for the first round of applause.

THEN the curtain call asks you to forget about all that tragedy and SING AND CLAP A FUCKLOAD with a giant dance number/singalong of Lady Marmalade, the Can Can, and EVEN “HEY YA.” I should note that during this part the male ensemble comes out in the iconic movie look of the tuxedo on top and tutu and tights on the bottom. At one point the choreo has the female ensemble riding these men, and rest assured I yelled “IT’S EQUALITY.” THEN after that was the full cast bows, with Karen and Aaron last and together and then the men pull out cane which are ALL confetti canons that shoot out confetti and streamers so high it almost reached the balcony.

SO THERE IS THE EXPERIENCE OF SEEING “MOULIN ROUGE” ONSTAGE. It is indeed a RAVISHMENT OF THE SENSES and honestly there were probably a lot of bits of new music in there that I forgot, but folks, it looks great, it sounds great, the cast is phenominal, IT IS INDEED, EVERYTHING.

#Moulin Rouge #Moulin Rouge musical #musicals #theatre

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